Animorphs: The Visions
by KuroTenshi1
Summary: PG-!3 cause i don't know what i would do next. Anyway, a girl accidentally stumbles across the invasion cause of dreams she's been having. She starts to write them into a story. But what if Jake and the others come across this? This is in her point of vie
1. Prologue

AN: I don't own the Animorphs, but I do own Leigh and any other new character that pops up. Also this is my first Animorph fic, so please be a little nice? And please excuse the little OOCness in this.  
  
Summery: What if a girl accidentally stumbles across the invasion, when she thought it was only her story. What if, this girl has a serect of her own that she didn't want to tell? Well, that's what happens when Jake and Marco invite her to meet their friends. (I sux at summaries!) And why does Visser Three(In my story he's still Visser Three) want this girl? Here is her side of the story.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Moving to this place has changed me in many ways then I would've imagined a month ago.  
  
Of course, back then I wouldn't have been fighting evil beings from another planet.  
  
My name is Leigh and that's all you need to know for now.  
  
Maybe when it's safe, when we win the war, I'd tell you about my self.  
  
If you saw me, you would see five foot three black girl with short hair that's always bushy and had light brown highlights at the end. I have dark- brown eyes with arched eyebrows that are natural. I only wear pants and long sleeve shirts and sometimes a dress for important things.  
  
I have friends, a mom and dad, and a pet cat named Sandy.  
  
I'm not perfect in school, but I'm not doing too bad either. I love music and reading and writing.  
  
But for all the normalcy in my life changed a month ago, when I met Jake and Marco.  
  
This is how it all started, and why I fight the yeerks. 


	2. New Kid

AN: I know this sux but I'm only getting warmed up.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Being the new kid kind of sucks. There are people who come up to you in class and talk to you. There are those that ignore you and get on with their lives, I guess they're the normal ones.  
  
In most of my classes, I'm ahead of the subject since at my old school we've already done them.  
  
Of course, when you're bored like I was in the middle of Geometry, what are you going to do?  
  
I pulled out a small compact notebook that you would see in CVS, you know, the black and white ones, and started to write.  
  
As you can tell, I'm a writer. I love romance stories and the weird supernatural stories that involve all types of creepy things.  
  
So, I wasn't paying attention when Coach Colbert came over to my desk with a yard ruler. I should've known, cause the room went deadly silent as the ruler slammed loudly on top of my notebook, making me scream.  
  
I glared up at him as he and the rest of the class laughed.  
  
"Now, what is this that was more important that you stopped paying attention in my class, Miss Leigh?" He picked up the book and read it for a minute. Then looked back at me, with a questionable look, "Aliens?" He smirked, "A story on Aliens enslaving humanity by taking over their minds?" He tossed the book on his desk, "Now tell us, even though this is a math class and not English, what it's about."  
  
I felt my cheeks get really hot, God, did he have to put me on the spot like that?  
  
I sat up, "It's about these little parasites that looked like..um." I looked nervously around, "I haven't come up with a name for them or what they look like, only that they're small and don't have any bones and that are highly intelligent." I said, "They came to Earth cause they need hosts, like a tick or something.." I bit my lower lip; "I haven't really thought too much on it since it was a spur of the moment thing."  
  
He nods, "Yes, well, as entertaining at your story maybe, this is math, not English and since you're new here, I'll let it slide this once, but do it again and you'll get detention."  
  
With that he tossed the notebook at me and went back to teaching.  
  
A few minutes later, about ten minutes before class was over, I felt as if someone was staring at me. I looked around and saw two kids staring at me with a very serious expression on their faces.  
  
One of them looked Hispanic with short black hair and chocolate brown eyes. He couldn't have been no more than a inch or so taller than me. He wore baggy black pants with an orange t-shirt and black shoes.  
  
Beside him was a brown haired boy, that looked older then he really was, with chocolate brown eyes and pale skin. He wore blue jeans with a red shirt and another blue open button shirt with white sneakers.  
  
For some reason, their gazes were not friendly, but they weren't dangerous either, more like they were thinking about something.  
  
The bell ringed and it was time for lunch. I had fourth period lunch, so I had to go to my next class, which happens to be Biology, my least favorite class.  
  
  
  
I sat next to the boy that was in my other class that was staring at me. I found out his name was Jake and that the other boy, who was sitting behind him, was his best friend Marco.  
  
One of the girls next to me had said that the two had been friends since they were in diapers.  
  
After that, I ignored the whole lesson and started taking notes on what I wanted in my story.  
  
Sometime later, I began to doodle strange little aliens on the paper, bored stiff out of my mind.  
  
I didn't notice until the bell had rung, that Jake and Marco were looking at me again, this time they looked at the paper as well.  
  
On it was a slug, which I named York, they're the alien species that I thought up. Next to it was a centipede named, Maxtron.  
  
I got up and hurried to lunch, maybe the lunch at this school doesn't suck, I thought, forgetting my notebook on my desk.  
  
  
  
  
  
It was at the end of the day, and I had survived the first day of school. I was looking through my book bag, trying to find my notebook. "Damn." I muttered and started walking home.  
  
"Hey Leigh!"  
  
I turned and found Jake and Marco jogging up to me, "You forgot this in class." Jake said and handed it to me.  
  
"Thanks." I smiled and turned then hesitated, "You guys live this way?"  
  
Marco nods, "Yeah, why don't we walk with you."  
  
We started talking about stuff, listening to Marco's bad jokes, and all. But mostly they were interested in my story.  
  
"So, who are the heroes?" Jake asked.  
  
Marco rolled his eyes, "Jake, man, who do you think?" He posed, "Tis' I! Super Marco!"  
  
I shook my head, "I don't know yet." I told him truthfully, "But maybe when I get some sleep, I'll have something." I kept walking, "I always come up with something after I dream."  
  
"Dream?" Jake raised a brow, "About what?"  
  
I shrugged, "About weird things, like flying around in a space ship or talking to strange creatures. Like this one dream I had about a blue deer thing that didn't have a mouth." I noticed that they were paying a little too much attention to me, but kept going, " It talked using telepathy." I frowned a bit, "But the weird thing is, it all seemed real." I grinned, "Scary isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah," Jake said half-heartedly, "Really scary."  
  
"Well, this is my street, I'll see you guys tomorrow." I began to walk down there when  
  
Marco came up to me, "So," He said walking with me, "do you have any other stories?"  
  
Marco left an hour later after calling a friend of his, Cassie. As he talked on the phone, I was getting kind of sleepy and told him he should let himself out when he's done or whatever.  
  
After he got off, he woke me and said that he and Jake would like to invite me to see the rest of their friends after school tomorrow. Of course, if I'd known what I was getting into, I wouldn't have come.  
  
Like they said, 'Ignorance is Bliss'.sometimes.  
  
  
  
AN: Please review. I'm trying really hard at this. 


	3. Leigh's Secrets

I arrived at a farm which was eight miles from my house, so I had to skate on my roller blades all the way there and let me tell you, it would've been more fun is there were more hills to go down on than up.  
  
I skated up to a barn where animals were being held. Marco and Jake had told me that Jake's girlfriend, Cassie, helps her dad with the animals. Both her parents are vets, her mom works at the Gardens, which means, discount!  
  
Her family also runs the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic where they take care of wild animals and such and let them go when they're healthy again.  
  
So, here I am, skating up the gravel/dirt driveway with my headphones on and my CD in my pocket. If you're wondering what I'm listening to, it's the soundtrack from The Queen of the Damned.  
  
My hair was still kind of damp cause of my little cousin, who was staying with us for the day, dumped a bucket of water on my head. The little runt had the audacity to stand there and laugh! Which was why I was wearing different clothes then the ones I wore to school.  
  
I slowly skated in and sat down on one o f the bales of hay and took off my blades to put my shoes on.  
  
Jake and Marco were horse playing around, or Marco was, Cassie, a girl of my color and height, was busy working with some animals, and Rachel, Cassie's best friend, (at least from what I heard was also Jake's cousin) was looking at a magazine.  
  
Then there was this boy that was disturbingly handsome eating some licorice like a two year old.  
  
I heard a squawk and looked up. To my surprise, there was a hawk up there in the rafters.  
  
After a moment, I began to speak, "So what's this about, Jake?" I asked.  
  
"What happened to you?" Marco asked, "Did you fall in the toilet or something?"  
  
I glowered at him, "My little cousin dumped a bucket of water on me." I muttered.  
  
After they laughed that up, Jake looked at his watch, "Ax, Rachel, and Cassie," He began, "This is Leigh. She's the one I told you about."  
  
After the little introductions, I stared at Ax for a moment. Something about him disturbed me on a higher level. "What are you?" I muttered to myself.  
  
"Alien." He answered.  
  
I blinked a couple of times, "Okkkkaaaayyyyy." You always humor the crazy ones.  
  
"Come on," Cassie said, "We've got to show you something." I followed her leave and walked with the rest of them into the woods.  
  
  
  
When we were far enough away, they stopped and turned to Ax.  
  
"Do it." Jake said.  
  
And right before my eyes, Ax transformed from a guy, to an alien. I won't go into detail about it as it still disturbs me to this day.  
  
"This is what they call an-" Marco began when I cut in.  
  
"Andalite." I breathed, was it me or was it getting hot out here? And how did I know what he was?  
  
Who are you, human?   
  
Before I knew it, the blade was at my throat. Great, I thought numbly, I'm going to become sushi.  
  
Maybe she's a yeerk. Another voice, coming from the bird said.  
  
I blinked rapidly, "A what?" My voice strained a little as I talked. Something was wrong here. Why are they staring at me like that?  
  
"Stop playing dumb." Rachel said coldly.  
  
At that moment and time, one instinct came to mind: Run.  
  
  
  
I ran, fast and hard, hearing them shout and hearing my own heart beating wildly in my chest.  
  
Of course, I didn't get that far. A tiger jumped in front of me and there was a wolf and a bear behind me. I looked to the sides, on one side there was a gorilla and on the other was the Andalite, Ax. I heard a hawk cry, and saw it above me.  
  
I was trapped, like a rat. The only way I could get out of it was if I could dig under ground and my human body wouldn't allow it.  
  
You're surrounded, yeerk. Just leave your host and we may spare you. The tiger said to me.  
  
I didn't move, cause I wasn't a yeerk or whatever. I was a clairvoyant, a person who touches particular objects and get flash or vision of the past of what that object's been through.  
  
"I'm not a yeerk, stupid." I muttered, "And what the hell is one anyway?"  
  
Ax looks at me with his main eyes as his stalk eyes moved around, How can you know of Andalites and not know of the Yeerks? No He arched his tail, I believe this is some yeerk trick.   
  
We can keep her here for three days. the gorilla said to the others, Then we'll know for sure who and what she is.  
  
He's right. The wolf said, We'll just have to make sure that she doesn't get near any of the pool entrances.   
  
Alright. The tiger said.  
  
Then slowly they changed from animal to human. I stood there fascinated by the whole thing. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would've seen such a sight, even though some of it is gross but Cassie made it seem beautiful.  
  
"Wolf-girl." I muttered under my breath.  
  
What did you say, human? Ax tail was quivering.  
  
"Nothing that you would understand, Andalite." I answered back, "Besides, it's meaning isn't important any way."  
  
I sat down on the ground, man I was in some need of sleep. The hawk came down on the ground and stared at me.  
  
"Who are you then, if I'm going to be stuck here anyway." I asked, "It's not like I'm going to tell."  
  
Tobias. He replied. I must acquire your DNA so you won't miss school.   
  
I held out my arm, hey, it wasn't like I liked going to that school anyway. But, of course, I forgot to tell them about that power I have and as soon as I remembered, I jumped back into a tree.  
  
"Don't touch me." I told him evenly, "Don't you dare touch me."  
  
"Grab her." Jake said.  
  
They grabbed me and held me still as I struggled, see I wore long sleeve shirts and gloves a lot, so I didn't have accidentally flashes of people's lives. Now, I didn't have the choice as Tobias's talon touched my skin and I started to have flashbacks of his life and memory.  
  
~*Flash back*~  
  
Tobias Pov.  
  
The others have gotten away.Oh God, there's no way out! There! I've found it!! I've found a way out!  
  
I flew towards the hole and landed in the woods somewhere. It was still dark, hard to see.  
  
I don't know what time it is. I have to morph back now. I concentrated on my DNA but..nothing happened! Nothing happened?! I'm stuck! I'm stuck as a bird!!  
  
~* End of Flash Back*~  
  
More scenes and memories filter thorough my mind and I saw it all. Everything since he was two to now. I saw the first time he met his father, Elfangor, who also gave him and his friends the power to morph. I knew he loved Rachel, and like Ax.  
  
I sagged against the tree, holding my head as it pounded away with too much information.  
  
They had released me but I lunged away from them, falling to my hands and knees. My breathing was a little hard as I tried to get my mind back in place.  
  
I heard someone come near me, as if to help me up. "Don't. Touch. Me." I bit out between breaths.  
  
"What's the matter with you?" Cassie asked, "You're shaking and sweating, are you sick?"  
  
I shook my head and looked at her, "I'm a clairvoyant."  
  
"A what?" Marco and Rachel both said at the same time.  
  
"A person who touches anything and sees visions or flashes of something that the object has been through." I explained, "That's why I wear gloves and long sleeves."  
  
Humans can be psychic? Ax asked.  
  
I nodded, "Few humans have the ability to be psychic but most of the time, it's on a low scale, barely noticeable except for empathy." I shook my head, "Now what, oh wise and powerful Animorphs." I said sarcastically.  
  
Marco looked at me, "So, do you work at those stupid psychic hotlines? Like Miss Cleo?"  
  
"Bite me." I growled.  
  
"Only if you insist." He shot back.  
  
"Ok," Rachel said, "How do we know that this isn't a trick?"  
  
I looked at Tobias, who sat on a low branch right above me. "I will not tell you anything without permission." I said, then raised a brow at her, "Unless any of you would like for me to touch you and tell all what I see?"  
  
I'll volunteer, human. Ax told me. I wish to see how this is done.  
  
I gave him a humorless smile, "Very Easily, Andalite." I took off my glove and reached out to him and touched his blue-tan fur.  
  
~*Flashback*~  
  
Axmilli!  
  
I turned around to see my mother. She looked every upset, I wonder why. I said goodbye to my friends and galloped up to her.  
  
Mother? Something was wrong. Her tail was dropping and she looked very shaken.  
  
Axmilli It was my father, he was a proud soldier, home for the day. Even though he looked bored, he really seemed sad. What's going on? What's wrong?  
  
Yes, sir?  
  
Axmilli, Mother began, Elfangor-  
  
Father broke in, Axmilli, Prince Elfangor is dead. He was killed in battle by the Abomination.  
  
For the first time, my whole world crashed down around me. Elfangor?! Dead?! It was something that my mind could not handle. No! Elfangor can't be dead! It's not possible! He was the greatest warrior! He CAN'T BE DEAD!!!  
  
~*End of Flashback*~  
  
I stood there and opened my eyes just for a second then looked right into Ax's main eyes.  
  
"What did you see?" Cassie asked, sensing that something had happened. It was then that I detected a small amount of energy from her. Cassie was psychic, an empathy at that!  
  
"Do you want me to tell them, Ax?" I asked quietly.  
  
I do not know what you saw. He told me.  
  
I looked away and put my gloves back on. "What I saw was you and your parents." I began and paused, "They were telling you about your brother's death to the abomination, also known as, Visser Three." I looked back at him, "I know what your exact words were and thoughts. Though they are both beyond description."  
  
What a minute. Tobias gazed at me, You can hear our thoughts?!  
  
"Naw, I hear the little people running around in my head." I said sarcastically. "Of course I hear your thoughts. It's part of the visions."  
  
"So, how do we use this to our advantage?" Rachel asked.  
  
"I wanna know," Marco turned to me, "How did you know about Andalites and what yeerks look like and Taxxons too."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Cassie looked slightly confused.  
  
"She has pictures in her notebook of them." Jake answered.  
  
Man, I felt a headache start up and started to throb and pulse. I reached in my pocket and got out a bottle of advial and swallowed a couple whole, but didn't noticed some slips of paper slip out of my pocket. Rachel picked it up and unfolded it.  
  
"You mean this?" She asked looking at the drawings.  
  
She showed it to all and then they looked at me.  
  
"What?" I asked getting annoyed now, "I was bored in class and sketched a few things."  
  
"What about that dream you told us?" Jake asked, "You know, the one with the blue talking deer?"  
  
"Oh, that?" I thought about it and shrugged, "I don't know." I glanced at Ax, "Maybe that's why I knew what Ax was."  
  
Then I wanted to laugh, this was insane and crazy. I mean, yesterday I was at the mall reading a book, and now? I'm standing here talking to an alien, four kids that can turn into animals, and a talking bird. Can it get any worse than this? Are they going to lock me up in a nuthouse after this?  
  
"What are you so happy about?" Marco asked.  
  
I shook my head, "This is insane." I muttered, "First, I move here, then go to a strange school, end up talking to you two," I looked directly at Jake and Marco, " then I have another weird dream. From there, my cousin dumps water on me and now I'm here talking to kids who can change into animals, an alien kid, and a bird.." I shook my head again. "And something tells me that it only gets worse."  
  
"Yeah, it does." Rachel told me, "We fight aliens that take over peoples minds."  
  
"Straight from the pages of my book." I sighed, "Anything else you can tell me?"  
  
After everything had been settled and talked thorough, there was only one thing I could say.  
  
"Shit."  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Well, that's all. R&R Please? 


	4. Homeless The Dagger

AN: Thank you! Thank you, thank you for the reviews. The story is a bit Auish as well as a little OOC. I only own Leigh and sadly enough, I don't own Jake or Tobias or any of the other characters. Only the new characters are mine.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I stared up at my bedroom ceiling, thinking about everything that happened yesterday and rolled over closing my eyes. I had told them most of everything I had to say, except the fact that Cassie is a little psychic and that my power only works if there was strong emotions left behind in the object or person. Did I mention the fact that I always see bad things?  
  
Jake had told me to go home and think about it, think about joining up with them. Why should I join them? It's not like any of my parents' are-"Leigh! Dinner!" My mom yells up to me.  
  
"Alright!" I shout back.  
  
I went downstairs and into the dinning area only to see a man there with three or more people with him.  
  
I started to back up, "M-m-mom?" I squeaked, "Dad?!"  
  
My mom stood off to the side, which meant that my dad was still at work.  
  
"Leigh, " My mom said, "This is Mr. Maxwell Jackson." She looked at him, "He would like you to see one of the relics he's found."  
  
One of the men with him held up a strange looking dagger. The metal looked odd, nothing of this world and there were inscriptions on it as well.  
  
"Ok." I said and he gave it to me, then I took off!  
  
"Get her!!!" I heard the man yell and the sound of feet after me.  
  
  
  
  
  
I ran hard and fast, taking shortcuts through the yards and fences and all.  
  
I had been going off and on for a long time now. It has been over five hours since I left home on foot when I arrived at Cassie's.  
  
I sat on the ground, trying to breathe, then walked up to the house and knocked on it.  
  
Sometime later, a man answered the door.  
  
"Hey, what are you doing here at this time of night?" He asked gruffly.  
  
I was too wiped to even say anything.  
  
He looked around and invited me in as I hide the relic under my clothes. After a few minutes of talking Cassie's dad let me stay on the couch for a while.  
  
After he had gone up to his own room, Cassie came down into the living room.  
  
"Leigh?" She seemed surprised, but walked over, "What are you doing here?"  
  
I looked up at her, "Cassie," I began, "I can't go home."  
  
She looked dumbfounded, and sat down as I quietly told her everything. When I was done, I felt better and had showed her the dagger that I took.  
  
She looked at me and nodded, "I'll tell Jake about it tomorrow. Right now, you need to stay here and out of sight."  
  
I hid the dagger again and went back to sleep, the only place where I'm truly safe.  
  
  
  
  
  
It was after school when the other Animorphs came to the woods. I was wearing some clothes Cassie let me borrow, luckily for me that we were the same size.  
  
"So, why are we here?" Marco asked, obviously grouch.  
  
"Who put the stick up your ass?" I muttered.  
  
"Let's see it." Jake said.  
  
I held it out as it gleamed in the light. It's handle looked like it was made up of some type of metallic silver and the blade looked like it was alive with a certain hue of blue that seemed to be moving also. Carved into the blade were certain letters and shapes, as if it was tying to deliver a message.  
  
"It's pretty, but what do the yeerks want with it?" Marco asked.  
  
I looked at him, "It's alien, Marco Polo, and the metal is precious." I told him, "And, they came to me to read it. The only way they would know about it is if they got my parents and the certainly got my mom..maybe my dad by now."  
  
Let me see. Ax said and I gave it to him. He looked it over with his main eyes. The language is unknown to me. He finally stated, The craftsmanship is remarkable, though.. He drifted off and looked at us, I don't know what it's true function is.   
  
"It's for killing." Rachel said.  
  
I took my glove off, "There's only one way to find out." I glanced at Jake and the others.  
  
"Do it." Jake said.  
  
Ax gave it to me.  
  
That's when my world went black.  
  
Unconsciousness..  
  
What are you doing here, human?  
  
I looked around; everything was a light gray landscape with distant familiar trees and something that looks like houses.  
  
'Who are you?' I asked, 'What am I doing here? Where is here?'  
  
We are in your mind. It answers; I am Kritra, a Vashia. Why do you have the dagger?  
  
I explained it to the voices. After a while it said.  
  
The dagger of Shivata is our most sacred one. She is the goddess of us all, human. I don't how, but I felt it frown. It's supposed to be handed down from mother to daughter, or another female to a younger one. From what you told me, your mother has, technically by our people, given you the dagger. It is now yours.  
  
'What!' I called out, as the world around me grew dark again. ' What is it suppose to do!?'  
  
It is the key to our knowledge.and our labs. It surpasses even the Andalites technology, so never give it to the yeerks that are taking over your world. You have everything you need, inside this dagger. And if you need help, just touch it and call for me. Farewell, Leigh.  
  
  
  
I awoke, staring at a ceiling, which looked very familiar. Then I knew where I was; I was in Cassie's living room.  
  
I sat up and looked around for the dagger. Where is it?! I've got to find it! That's when Cassie comes in, "Leigh, you're awake." She smiles at me, "I'll get the others."  
  
"No, wait! Cassie," I grabbed her arm, "Where's the dagger?"  
  
She frowned slightly, "Jake has it."  
  
A few minutes later, I had my gloves on and was holding the dagger. The others were sitting around.  
  
"What did you see?" Jake asked.  
  
I debated briefly on what to tell them then decided to leave out the voice thing and the fact that the dagger was now mine.  
  
"It is the key to their knowledge and technology." I explained, "They were very advance, so advance, that the Andalites would be eating their dust. There are things that the yeerks.." I shook my head, "Hell, any species shouldn't know. It was also a sacred blade of their main goddess, Shivata. The blade is handed down from one female to the next." I shrugged, "It seems that their world was dominated mostly by their women, who were seen as speakers of Shivata and were holy."  
  
"That's my kind of planet." Rachel said as she and Cassie exchanged high fives, "A world where men bow down to the women."  
  
Ax looked at me in his human form, "So, what, wh-wh-ut, is the species called?"  
  
"Vashia."  
  
He frowned, "but they do not exist or have never existed."  
  
"Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean that it's not real or that it doesn't exist, Andalite." I told him, "There are other beings that you didn't know existed until you got here."  
  
"Well, at least Andalite technology is better than humans, human." He shot back.  
  
"The alien thinks he has jokes." I muttered, "Sheesh, why don't you go and eat some grass? You have a mouth now."  
  
"You're just jealous-us. JEL-US. Of us."  
  
"As if, alien boy."  
  
"Ok, kids," Jake said, "Now we have to figure out how to use this to our advantage."  
  
I blinked, "Use what?"  
  
"You and the dagger." Marco told me.  
  
I stood up, "Let's get one thing straight here," I glared at their leader, "I'm not a tissue that you use and throw away, just be glad that I even met you at all."  
  
He raised a brow, "Why is that?"  
  
"Cause if I was with the yeerks, they would not only have more advance technology, but you as well. See, if they take me to places where they fought you, I could find out exactly who and what you are." I paused, "It's amazing that they haven't done voice match on you."  
  
"Of course we can always trap you in a morph." Rachel said easily, "Like David."  
  
I snorted, "Oh, him?" I shook my head, "Unlike him, I don't mess with things that I know will come back to haunt me. Besides, that boy was evil from the get go, plus he had an ego the size of both a yeerk and an Andalite put together."  
  
Ax glared at me, "How dare you breathe the name yeerk and Andalite in the same sentence."  
  
"Cause you're not too different from each other." I answered.  
  
"What do you mean?" He asked. "Of course we're different! They're slugs and we're Andalites."  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Listen, Ax, I'll explain it too you." I sighed, "Think about it, think about every creature you've seen, been, heard about, and thought about. What is the main concept of it?" I asked, "It's the fact that, a) we are alive. B) We fight amongst ourselves. C) We try and dominate our surroundings as well as surviving. That's the basic core of a sentient creature that was ever created."  
  
"Nice speech, but how are we going to fight the yeerks with this?" Macro asked.  
  
I didn't look at him, but walked off.  
  
"Where are you going?" Cassie asked, "What haven't you told us about it that you're keeping from us?"  
  
"And don't lie to us." Jake added.  
  
I looked at them, "I can't tell you.at least, not now. Maybe later.when it's safer or when we truly need it." And I left.  
  
  
  
AN: Ok, so the ending suxs a bit. I still working on it. Have any questions and I will try and answer them. R&R. 


	5. Animorphs Gathering

Chapter four  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I walked around the streets, debating on whether or not to go back home. I had hidden the dagger in the woods before I came into town.  
  
I walked aimlessly around until I found myself in front of my house. I took a deep breath and walked up to my door, then paused. I tried to hear what was going on inside, it was obvious that my parents were arguing.  
  
"How could you let them in?!" My father was saying, "They could've been murders for all we know and now Leigh's disappeared!"  
  
"Don't worry about it." My mother said, "She'll come back. She's a smart girl, and probably stayed with a friend. You have nothing to worry about."  
  
I opened the door and peeped inside.  
  
My dad turned his head and looked straight at me. "Where have you been, Leigh?!" He shouts at me. "We were worried sick, and you haven't called or anything."  
  
I came in and closed the door, time to face the music. "I was at a friend's house." I told him.  
  
"Why did you take off like that?" My mother asked concern, "You could've been hurt or worse! Dead somewhere in a ditch and we wouldn't have known."  
  
Yeah, riiiigggghhhhtttt. I thought and resisted the urge to roll my eyes. As if she cared, all she wants is the stinkin' dagger. I'm just a tool.  
  
So I put on my best 'I'm so sorry but I was scared' face with a few tears to make it look real.  
  
Halley Barry, eat your heart out.  
  
"I'm sorry.." I sniffed, "but.I was.I was so scared of him, mama! He didn't feel right!" I hugged her letting the tears flow. God, if I wasn't a clairvoyant, I should be an actress.  
  
Thank you, Thank you, I'd like to thank all the little people for helping me get this Oscar Award.  
  
"Don't worry about it." She told me, "You don't have to see him any more." She pulled me away from her. By now, I knew what she was looking at. A red face child with a runny nose and tear streaked face. Ok, so some of it wasn't totally fake.  
  
"Now, where is the dagger?" She asked.  
  
I blinked and rubbed my eyes, "The-the dagger?" I repeated stupidly like I didn't know what she was talking about. Of course I knew where it was and how it worked, but I'm not about to tell her that.  
  
I bowed my head, "It-it was st-stolen." I stuttered. "I'm sorry, but some guy took it from me and ran off."  
  
"Do you know what he looks like?" Her voice was now high pitched and was urgent.  
  
"Who was he?" She began to shake me. "Who was he?!"  
  
"Mama you're hurting me!" I cried, which was the truth. He nails were like claws on my shoulders, digging into them.  
  
"Stop it!" My father said quietly, "Let her go now or I swear I'll hit you."  
  
She stopped and glared at him then backed away.  
  
"Where's the dagger, Leigh?" He asked gently, "Don't worry, everything will be alright."  
  
I looked at him. My father was kind and very wise. He knew me very well, I just hope not good enough to know when I'm lying.  
  
"I don't know." I told him, "I didn't see his face..it happened so fast, I didn't have time to react." I looked down, "All I know is that he has red hair."  
  
My father smiled at me and put a hand on my shoulder, "It's ok, why don't you go upstairs take a bath and get some rest?"  
  
I nodded and mumbled an ok, then went upstairs.  
  
It was late when I heard a tapping sound at my window. I looked at the glowing digits of my alarm clock. It read 1:22 AM. I had fallen asleep a little after seven so I had been asleep for six hours.  
  
I groaned and got up, I was wearing light brown pajama shorts with a tank top. I put my gloves on then opened the window.  
  
Move out of the way. I heard and backed away from the window.  
  
In flew three owls and one hawk.  
  
"What are you guys doing here?" I whispered and peeped out of my room and down the hall. There was a guest room between my room and my parents.  
  
They demorphed to their original forms.  
  
I turned back and looked at two people, a red-tail hawk and an alien in my room.  
  
"Listen." Jake began, "We need you for our mission tomorrow night. So tomorrow, you will be admitted into our group." He stares at me, "If you want to."  
  
I just stared at them, "Is that why you're here tonight?" I asked, "Wait, how did you know I came home?"  
  
Cassie smiled slightly, " We had Tobias follow you just in case there was trouble."  
  
I shook my head, "Ok, ok,.." I started to weigh my options again. Then nodded,  
  
"Alright, I'll do it."  
  
Jake smirked, though it didn't look like it belongs on his serious face. "Good, meet us at the barn after school."  
  
"Sure," I told him, "Now may I please get back to sleep?"  
  
What, do you need your beauty rest? Tobias asked.  
  
"Watch, bird boy or I'll turn you into a feather duster and sell you for a hundred bucks."  
  
Only a hundred? He sounded miffed, I'm worth more than that.  
  
Let's go. Jake told them once they had remorphed. He looked at me one last time,  
  
See you tomorrow, Leigh.  
  
  
  
I groaned as I made my way to Cassie's house. I had a mountain of make up work, not to mention that people want more updates on my story, and my parents aren't speaking to each other.  
  
I walked up to the barn where the meeting was being held and slipped in unnoticed. Or so I thought.  
  
"Hey, Leigh," Marco said, "Had a good night sleep?"  
  
I glared at him, "Apparently not, Marco Polo." I said, "Or I wouldn't have fallen asleep in the middle of Geometry."  
  
He smirked but decided to bother Rachel.  
  
I sat on a bale of hay and started writing and adding more to my story.  
  
"What are you doing?" Cassie asked and looked at my notebook. In my notebook there were stories and some doodles in the margin and comments here or there.  
  
She read a part out loud:  
  
"She could only think about him. The way he smiled, or talked, or even frown, they all seemed special to her.  
  
But she knew that this could never be. She was forbidden to fall in love with anyone or to find happiness anywhere. Of course, she didn't care anymore, thanks to her father's training, she could no long feel. All the love that a human was born with or possessed, was bled out of her at a very young age..or so she thought."  
  
Cassie looked at me, "Is this suppose to be a romance story?" She asked.  
  
"A little, but it mostly about the fact that she's a trained warrior that was never loved. Her mother was dead and her father was a cold-hearted soldier himself and trained her like he was."  
  
She nodded, "Sounds sad."  
  
I shrugged, "Especially when it really happened and she had committed suicide because her father killed the man she loved."  
  
"Are all your stories like this?" She asked giving me the book back, "Do they all die at the end?"  
  
I looked at her, "Of course they do, Cass." I told her, "Everyone dies someday, some are sooner than others. Sometimes..there are those that are given an extra push into death. But they all died..we all died. It's the way our universe is."  
  
She didn't look too happy about it but nodded, accepting it.  
  
"Sorry I'm late." Jake said walking in. "My mom wouldn't let me leave until I finished the dishes."  
  
"Our Fearless Leader is a homemaker." Marco mutters.  
  
He looks at me, "You ready?"  
  
I shrugged, "No one is ever ready for anything." I hopped down, "Now is a good enough time as any."  
  
"Ax."  
  
The Andalite came forward with a blue box he held in one of his many fingered hands.  
  
"Shouldn't we make an oath or something?" Marco asked. "That way it'll be more official."  
  
Jake rolled his eyes, "Alright."  
  
Marco grinned and then turned somber, which is really amazing to watch. He turned to me. "Take off your glove."  
  
I took off my left one.  
  
"Now, repeat after me." He began. "I, Leigh(Fill-in any name you want cause it'll still be wrong.), solemnly swear to use the morphing power that is bestowed upon you to fight the yeerks and save the planet."  
  
I repeated the whole thing feeling kind of silly.  
  
Now put one of your hands on one side of the square. Ax instructed. You will feel a tingling feeling.  
  
I did and I felt more than a tingling feeling, I felt emotions that I shouldn't be able to feel. I saw scenes from the past that I shouldn't be able to see, and now they were all in my mind.  
  
~*Flash back*~  
  
The yeerks are right behind me! I thought as I flew faster. I have to get them away from this planet. The planet where Loren lived on with..with our son.  
  
Engine one has been hit. Main control systems..damage The computer announced. I have to land. Even though..  
  
The ship rocked again and I lurched forward. My wounds were too deep, I don't think I'll survive.  
  
I landed in a open area and opened the hatchet. I have to get away, even if it was only for a moment.  
  
Wait! I see something. Human..children?!  
  
A plan began to formulate in my foggy mind. I hate to do this, but they are the only hopes that this world has.  
  
I called the children to me, so young they are..and that boy..he looks like.he looks like her.  
  
Tobias, I said after learning his name and given him and his friends the power to morph.  
  
How is your.mother?  
  
But when he told me his mother left when he was little, I felt a piece of me die. Loren.Loren. I should have stayed. I could have.  
  
Go now! I ordered, Don't let him.them see you! One of the other children grabbed him and dragged him away.  
  
Another spacecraft landed next to mine. An evil sinister laughter rang out through our heads.  
  
Visser Three.the Abomination..that I helped create.  
  
~*End of Flashback*~  
  
I wiped the sweat from my forehead with my sleeve. That was him..I thought, that was the Andalite prince from my dreams. But his memories weren't the only ones that I saw. I also saw David and some of his thoughts. He was exactly what I had predicted about him earlier; evil.  
  
I felt sick to my stomach as I saw glimpses of what had happened. There definitely was some high emotion hanging around that cube, most of it wasn't good. The cube was a weapon, and a weapon to me, was dangerous as hell.  
  
I stepped backwards from the cube, my mind was still trying to process the information that was swimming through my head.  
  
Was that what they'd been through? I wondered and looked at them, all of that and they still act like they should to everyone else? If I could, I would have said duh. Of course they had to act like they did everyday. It must be hard for them and now me.  
  
I swallowed thickly before everything seemed to become somewhat normal.  
  
"Are you ok?" Cassie asked.  
  
I nodded numbly, yeah, I'm fine, after seeing and hearing screams shouts, a murder. The normal things to me.  
  
What happened? Tobias asked You're shaking.  
  
"I'll be fine." I said forcefully, though I didn't feel it. "So, what animal should I try?"  
  
I was changing the subject and they knew it.  
  
"Well," Cassie began, "Take your pick."  
  
I looked around. There were foxes, a skunk, a squirrel, a deer, two turtles, a horse and an owl.  
  
I went over to the foxes. I've always liked animals. Foxes were cute, and down right clever if you think about it.  
  
Its fur was red and white and its eyes were dark brown. This fox had its paw bandaged. Its paws were black as soot and the top of its ears were black too.  
  
"Be careful." Cassie cautioned, "They might bite you."  
  
I stared at it and it stared back at me. On some level, we understood each other. If I make the wrong move, it'll try and kill me.  
  
"Oh, and one more thing." Rachel looks at me, "You can only morph in tight fitting clothes."  
  
"Yeah," Jake nods, "We haven't figured out how to morph with sweaters, shoes or a watch."  
  
"Of course not." I said, "The power was meant for Andalites only. They wouldn't have any need for clothes." I touched the fox and concentrated on it while thinking that it was a good thing that I wore my jazz pants and a white shirt from ballet last year. Jazz pants are spandex material so it would keep me covered.  
  
I stood up and took my other gloves off. "Ok. Lets try this out." I muttered and took off my shirt.  
  
"Sorry, I don't have any money." Marco said.  
  
"Shut up Marco Polo." I snapped.  
  
"My, aren't we prepared."  
  
"Hello!" I glared at him, "I've seen your memories, of course I would know what you wear ahead of time. Sheesh." That's when I started to concentrate on the fox's DNA inside of me.  
  
The first thing that happened was that my ears side up to either side of my head and became a little pointed, and fuzzy. At the same time I began to shrink. Then a tail began to grow from my tailbone until it became a bushy red tail with a white tip.  
  
At this point I was still mostly human. My face began to bulge out into a snout and fur grew along my body. My arms and legs began to shift and turned into a fox's legs, and of course at that time I fell on all fours.  
  
Whiskers grew out and my human eyes turned into fox's eyes, which were much darker color than my own. Pads were on the bottom of my feet and my feet..it looked like something between a dog and a cat's paw.  
  
That's when I felt it. A mind began to surface that wasn't my own pushing my human brain aside.  
  
It was the fox instincts.  
  
It wanted to run, to hide, but it knew it was surrounded. I flatten my ears against my skull, my tail swished as I bared my teeth.  
  
I could smell them, I could smell everything. The small animals were afraid, and they should be.  
  
I glanced at the squirrel and thought about eating it.  
  
"Leigh." One of the strange creatures said looking at me, "Get a hold of yourself. Get a grip on the animal's instinct."  
  
I looked at him. What? Who's Leigh? What is this creature talking about?  
  
"Get a grip, now." The same creature said.  
  
Leigh.that name..it's very familiar. Leigh...is ...me?!  
  
I sat down and looked at them. Then breathed out. Sorry. I said in thought-speech. I had read enough science fiction to know how this works. You project your thoughts to the people you want to hear.  
  
its just..weird having two minds in one body, ya know? I opened my mouth and yawned, licking my paw a bit.  
  
"In each morph you have-," Jake began but I cut him off.  
  
Two hours and nothing more or you'll be stuck in the morph for the rest of the morph's natural life.or maybe more. I finished, Yeah, I know. It's kind of hard to ignore that if you have several memories of morphing and so on, drifting about in your head.  
  
I stood up on all fours, trotted around a while, scaring the hell out of the smaller animals, which was kind of fun.  
  
"Leigh, please, stop terrorizing the animals." Cassie said. "They won't heal if they die of fright."  
  
I scratched my ear, Aww, Cass, you know how to ruin a good time.  
  
I demorphed and put on my other clothes. "That was fun."  
  
"Some of it is fun, but that's not what we're using it for." Jake told me, "This is our only weapon to use against the Yeerks. The first rule, don't morph unless it's necessary.." And of course, I learned the rules of being an Animorph. Like, Never trust anyone, not even your own family members.  
  
When he said that I sort of snorted and said, "You don't have to worry about that one. I never did trust them in the first place."  
  
Cassie blinked, "Why?"  
  
I shook my head, "Let's just say the my powers are very convenient when we need some quick cash."  
  
They said nothing more about it and so, the subject was dropped.  
  
  
  
I had used Cassie's phone to call home and asked if I could go to the movies with my friends, of course, my mother agreed and told me to be back at eight. This would be my very first mission, so it also meant that we were going to the Gardens for me to get a few new morphs.  
  
We took the bus to get there and paid to get in. Since Cassie's mom worked there, we could go behind the scenes and acquire new animals.  
  
At the moment, they were pointing out selections to me, telling me the strong points and weak points of the animal.  
  
I didn't say anything as I looked at each one of the animals as though I was looking for a particular movie or book. Then an animal caught my eye. I stopped and looked at it as though it was the only thing in the room with me. It's golden amber eyes stared at me as I stared at it. Its fur was black as midnight and sleek as velvet. Its paws were bigger than my own human had and its claws were no doubt dangerous.  
  
For a moment, it felt as if the great cat was trying to see inside my very soul to see my intentions.  
  
"A panther." I walked towards the cage and was only a few feet when Cassie caught hold of my arm.  
  
"Be very careful around Ligra." She told me, "She doesn't like humans very much, not since we rescued her from a man who mistreated her."  
  
I nodded and shook her off. "Sure." I said, but there was a sort of dreamy tone in my voice as I walked toward it.  
  
I was half a foot away, when I bended down and took off my glove. I held out my hand and pushed back the fear that was trying to over take me.  
  
I knew Ligra could smell my fear, which didn't really help the situation at all. Then with lighting quick reflexes that only a cat possessed, she made a grab for my hand with one of her huge paws.  
  
"Leigh!"  
  
"Stay back!" I said, "Stay back! I'll handle this!"  
  
"What?! Are you insane?!" Marco asked, "You're saying that you've got a handle on this when that panther has its jaws around your arm?!"  
  
I gave him a dry laugh; "Life was never sane in the first place, Marco Polo." I looked at him, "Besides, she's only playing. I'm not hurt."  
  
I used my other had and petted the animal. She didn't really hate humans, only males. She slowly released my arm, which, by the way, is thoroughly soaked by drool, and I raise it to scratch behind her ear and concentrated on getting her DNA. After that was done, I put my gloves back on and stood up frowning, "Honestly," I said looking at the sleepy panther, "You really didn't have to grab me."  
  
The panther just looked at me and rolled over on her belly. I bent down again and rubbed her belly through the bars.  
  
"Come on, you'll need other morphs." Jake said with a slight smile.  
  
By the time the day was over, I had acquired: a panther, a dolphin, a roach, a fly, a flea, a wolf, an owl, a snake, and a hawk, that just happened to be a female red-tail hawk.).  
  
After that, we all went home to our families, or for Tobias and Ax, they went back to the forest, and took care of business.  
  
As I lay in my bed that night, waiting for my parents to go to sleep, I wonder if this would be the last time I would ever see my room, my friends, or family again.  
  
But what's done is done; there is nothing I could do about it.  
  
For some reason or another, I couldn't sleep, so I put a fake dummy in my bed to make it look like I slept there and went over and opened the window.  
  
I changed into my morphing suit and concentrated on the owl DNA. Of course, I can't tell you what happened cause I couldn't see. But I did feel the changes and was glad that I couldn't see.  
  
Once I was in owl morph, I hopped on the window and stretched my wings. Ok, I can do this. I thought. One. two. and then I hopped out of the window and flapped my wings.  
  
This was majorly cool! I mean.it's like someone turned on the lights and now I can see everything as though it was board daylight, and I can hear so many things..it's very overwhelming. After I flew around a little, I went to the forest, where we're supposed to meet. But I had other ideas before the others would arrive at the point.  
  
I flew to the edge of the forest where I had hidden the dagger and demorphed. I got on my hand and knees, looking for the spot where I had buried it.  
  
Ha, found it. I used the end of my shirt and held it up. It gleamed in the half moonlight as I looked at it. I put it down and decided to go wolf.  
  
Once my morph was complete in its own illogical way, I picked up the dagger and ran to where we were supposed to meet.  
  
About a dozen feet away, I smelled a strange scent as well as a bird. Tobias and Ax were already there, and I haven't found Cassie's scent yet nor any of the others, which was good cause Jake would've killed me if he knew what I was doing.  
  
I demorphed back to my human form and sat down in Indian style. I held the handle of the dagger and closed my eyes as I began to call for the strange alien being named Kritra.  
  
In my mind.  
  
'Kritra?'  
  
Yes, Leigh? I had long ago determined that Kritra was female.  
  
'My friends and I are going into battle tonight, Kritra, and..' I hesitated. I had never admitted to being afraid of anything...not even death. But I was afraid of dying; afraid that I would never see anyone again; never finish my stories. Heck, I would even miss that runt of a cousin I have.  
  
'I'm afraid that I will not survive it....even if it is only my first battle.'  
  
Do not fear, Leigh, for Shivata is always with you and will help you through this. She told me. All you have to do is believe in her and in your abilities and your friends and everything should be alright.  
  
I felt myself smirk.  
  
'I haven't believed in much, Kritra.' I admitted, 'I hardly believe in my own God, let alone myself. The others.they'll live through this because they are veterans. They know the drill and what to do and what not to do. I'm still new at this.'  
  
But you know all about death, murder, evil, and hatred. Kritra said a bit perplexed by my situation. Why would you fear it now? You have seen and heard the thoughts of the murders and their victims. You have dreamed of becoming them and killing people. Why does it bother you now?  
  
She was right, it shouldn't have bothered me, I mean, being a clairvoyant isn't the best lifestyle you want to have, certainly one that I don't even want. Picking up old emotions from items or from people, seeing what kind of life they had or what their past was. I had once worked with the police on a case for a serial killer killing little kids or young men.  
  
It was an experience that I wouldn't forget, an experience that I still have nightmares about. Me, trying to kill this helpless little girl or boy, not the killer who I was seeing the memory through, but me, Leigh. They would cry and cry and scream and cry. Then I'd silence them, by stabbing them over and over and over until nothing was left but a bloody pulp.  
  
After that, I didn't work with police anymore; I just couldn't do it. Too many victims, too many lives lost. And if I hadn't, I'd be in the loony bin by now.  
  
So what Kritra was saying was true. I have been the killer; I have been the victim. I should be use to this..but strangely.I'm not.  
  
'I guess it's a human thing.' I told her finally, 'I have to go, I think the others are here, I'll talk to you later.'  
  
As you wish. She said. Farwell Leigh and good luck to you. May Shivata always smile down upon you.  
  
'Same to you.' I thought and opened my eyes. I could hear Jake now, so every one was here, all I have to do was go.  
  
I got up and hid the dagger, than walked out to join them, hoping that I would live long enough to see seventeen.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Thanks for the reviews! Though, I definitely didn't know that until after I had already written it! Thanks goes out to...  
  
Toria Wildman: Thanks ~__-- Marco does sound cuter!  
  
Green Eyed Girl: Glad you like it. And thanks for being the first couple of people to reveiw  
  
Taylor Marin: Thanks for the advice, but blame it all on my computer! *Points at sputtering machine.*  
  
remnants-2011: You like it?! Cool!  
  
Lisa-Ann: What can I say? I tried, I worked.*in a low voice * I had detention, *Talks normally * And I succeeded! Thanks for the views and being the second person to give me a chance.  
  
Little Washu Chan: You were my first review! And I read some of you stories, you're good too.  
  
  
  
So thanks to all for the reviews! KuroTenshi - out! Peace Love and Coffee for all! 


	6. What's wrong Leigh?

AN: Ok, I'm glad you liked it. As usual, all disclaimers apply. Me own Leigh, Kritra and any new character that pops up, me no own Animorph characters.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I walked out towards them quietly, without my gloves on, which I left at home, in my morphing suit.  
  
"Where have you been?" Jake demanded, "We went to your house only to find out that you were gone." He stares at me with those serious chocolate brown eyes of his. The kind that makes you want to squirm. You know, like when you're caught doing something wrong, they give you that certain look.  
  
I resisted the urge to squirm or look away from his eyes. I just stood totally still, almost rigidly like a soldier. "I had to take care of something that didn't concern the mission. It wouldn't blow our cover so just chill. It wasn't like I was going to turn into a wolf or something and terrorize the neighborhood dogs."  
  
"Listen, when we're on a mission, I'm in charge. I worry bout things like, an Animorph missing from where they're suppose to be." He told me.  
  
"Alright, Dad, I promise I won't do it again."  
  
"Don't push your luck, kid. You may have the power, but we know a helluva lot more than you do so shut up and follow orders." Rachel snaps at me with an angry expression.  
  
I didn't move, nor did I speak, I only stared, "Fine."  
  
"Ok, now lets morph owl and get this over with." Jake told everyone.  
  
I glared at both Jake and Rachel, but didn't breath a word to them and morphed into an owl.  
  
  
  
I would've enjoyed flying, except for the tension that was there. Of, course, Marco, being Marco, broke the tension by saying, Now, how many times have I said that this is insane?  
  
Oh, about a million times, give or take. Rachel answered.  
  
Ok, then I'll say it again. This is Insane!  
  
Jake, Cassie's thought-speech filled my mind at a listened to the others talk to each other.  
  
What are we looking for?  
  
Erek says that the Yeerks have found another one of those alien artifacts that might contain information and technology that would help them speed up the invasion of Earth.  
  
And so, you want to use me to tell you exactly what they are. I said, speaking up for the first time. Just like the way the Yeerks wanted to use me in that manner, only it involved getting a slug in the ear.  
  
Listen, we are not the Yeerks. We gave you a stinkin choice so quit brooding about it. Jake told me. And yes, once we have the artifact, we will need you to read it.  
  
What am I suppose to do, Jake? I asked, My mom is a freakin alien, like your brother and Marco's mom, and now I have a chance to get back at them. What am I suppose to do? Hmm? Ignore what is happening?   
  
We know how you're feeling, ok? Now just calm down. Cassie said trying to smooth things over.  
  
No you don't. I told her, Try living with not only nightmares of this, but of many other lives with death as a theme of it all. Weapons are my specialty, murder crimes; I've done it before. Been to the scenes, touched things, seen things that would make Yeerk invasion seem preferable. I paused, You seem to forget, that the Yeerks aren't the only danger.Humans themselves are just as viscous and nasty as the next badass evil alien.   
  
That shut them up and made them think.  
  
I fell quiet too; I had nothing more to say to them. Everything was building up and one of these days, it's going to explode and nothing will stand in its way..nothing.  
  
Thank you for keeping us down. Marco said to me.  
  
Shut the fuck up, Marco. I said quietly Just Shut. The. Fuck. Up.  
  
  
  
We landed on a building and snuck in then Jake told us to go roach, not one of my favorite morphs as you can tell. It is very, very disturbing to watch. Not even Cassie's talent could make this look good. But before I began to morph, I felt something.like a crawling sensation up my spine.  
  
What was that? I wondered. But then it was gone like it had come. I gave it no farther thought for I was used to the feeling of things at random. With my mind made up, I began to morph.  
  
The first thing that happened was that my mouth split and became a roach's mouth, then I began to shrink as antennae came out of my head and I grew extra legs as my own legs turned brown with little feelers on them. My bones disappeared at that time so, I was on the floor as my back became a caramel brown and hard roach shell. My eyes became huge and...well, lets just say that this is something sickening an that I feel like throwing up at this point..if I had a mouth.  
  
Everyone finished? Jake asked.  
  
Slightly disturb, but finished. Marco said.  
  
Ok. He said and started to crawl against the wall.Erek said that they keep the artifacts and technological stuff here, on this floor. he pause for a moment.Leigh?  
  
Yeah? I said still a little mad at him.  
  
Can you get any type of feeling from the object? he asked, With or without your gloves on?  
  
I considered it, going over the possibilities in my mind, It would have to depend on what the object is or if the object is radiating with very intense emotion..I probably could. I paused, What is it that ht Yeerks have?  
  
I'm not sure. He answered, Erek says that the rumor is, that it's some type of orb.  
  
I considered it for a moment. This might have some connections to that disturbance on the plane.   
  
The what? Marco asked.What does an airplane have to do with this?  
  
Not an airplane, Polo, I corrected, The psychic plane where part of my brain frequency is in tune to. I felt it before I morphed.  
  
Why didn't you tell us? Cassie asked.  
  
I sighed Cause, there's a lot of shit that can do that to you, Cass. I told her, I usually write it off as a past occurrence with the building.   
  
So, can you feel which room it's coming from? Jake asked.  
  
I concentrated on feeling anything strange.I got nothing. Sorry, I guess it only works when I'm human.   
  
Did you feel what direction it could be in before morphing?  
  
Yes.  
  
Which way?   
  
The third door to the left.  
  
Ok, lets go.   
  
We were half way there when we felt the vibrations, which, at our size, felt like earthquakes.  
  
"I don't know what the Visser is thinking." It was a male controller. His voice sounded like speakers switched on high. "Giving us a deadline like that to figure out how that thing works."  
  
"We don't even know what made the thing let alone how to open the damn thing." The second controller, a female, agreed with the male and sighs while shaking her head. " And now he expects us to figure it out in twenty- three hours..is he nuts?!"  
  
The male controller snorted, "Yeah, but no one is going to tell him that."  
  
They left, mumbling about coffee breaks and other things as we made our way into the room.  
  
Ok Jake began, Ax, you go first.  
  
Well, we don't want them knowing what we are by accident, now do we?  
  
Prince Jake. Ax said, There are little black boxes in this room in the corners.  
  
Destroy them.  
  
After a few seconds Ax reported that they were all gone and we demorphed, which still wasn't pretty.  
  
I stood in spandex pants and a tight black shirt, barefooted, in a makeshift lab like room.  
  
"There." Cassie said seeing our prize. "There's the orb."  
  
Sure enough the orb was in a container on a small pedestal looking nice and pretty. The orb itself was nothing more than a round, giant-size marble that was so dark red that it was almost black, looked almost innocent.  
  
It would be to the others, but not to me. I felt the same chill from earlier go down my spine and the warning signal in my brain went off flashing: Danger! Danger! Back away from the ball and you won't get hurt!  
  
"Now, all we have to do is get it out of here and we're home free." Jake mutters. "Ax, see what you can do."  
  
Yes, Prince Jake.  
  
"Oh and Ax?"  
  
Yes?  
  
"Don't call me 'prince'."  
  
I edged over to Jake and said, "I don't think this is such a good idea."  
  
"Why not?" Rachel answered before him. She turned and looked straight at me. "We get it, you see what it is, and then we use it against the Yeerks."  
  
I bit my lower lip, "This.this isn't right." I watched as Ax cut through the security programs with ease. "Something about this doesn't seem right."  
  
"Like what?" Cassie asked with a frown.  
  
I shrugged, "I don't know, but my senses are going nuts. That thing has some high emotions around it and it looks just plain evil."  
  
Looks can be deceiving, Leigh. We of all people should know that. Tobias told me. Just because it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and acts like one, doesn't mean it is a duck.  
  
"Thank you for the philosophy, Objuan Kannobe." Marco said sarcastically.  
  
I closed my mouth as Ax picked up the sphere. Now what Prince Jake?  
  
"There's a window over there." Cassie told us, "We could morph and get out of here with the orb."  
  
I didn't know what to say to that, something still nagged me about the orb and the fact that this seemed too damn easy..it might be a trap.  
  
"Let's morph and get out of here."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"That went smoothly." Marco said. "More so than the other missions we've been on. Why can't it always be like that?"  
  
It was Saturday, a day or two after the mission, we had decided to hold off the reading until today, which I still thought was a bad idea from the get go.  
  
So, we're in the woods, cause it would look bad if we had the orb there, me in a trance, and Cassie's dad coming in and seeing this.  
  
We were in a sort of semi-circle; Jake was across from me, next to Cassie. Marco was on the other side of Jake. Rachel was next to Ax on my right and Tobias was sitting on a low branch above us.  
  
Ax had the orb and looked like he was ready to play kick ball or something.  
  
As for me, I was leaning against a tree, away from the group, like the stranger I really was. I mean, think about, these guys knew about one another for a long time, even the alien kid seems to be part of them. But I guess that's because they had to depend on one another for a long time in those life and death situations.  
  
"Ok, let's get this stuff over with." Jake said, " Ax, give the orb to Leigh."  
  
At this point I was standing next to Marco. Ax began to come forward and stopped in front of me, holding the orb out for me. Take it.  
  
I stared at it and shook my head, "No, way."  
  
"Why the hell not?" Rachel asked.  
  
"What's your problem?" Marco asked, "We just risked our necks for this thing."  
  
"That thing is radiating with some bad shit." I told him, "I told you when we got in there, that thing is bad."  
  
"Just touch it already, I do have a life you know." Rachel mutters.  
  
"Fine, but I warned you, that if some bad shit happens cause of this, it'd be your own damn fault, not mine." Angrily I tore off my glove and touched the ball.  
  
Instantly, I jerked away from it like I'd been burnt, holding my hand and backing away from it, eyes wide with fear.  
  
"Dear, Goddess." I whispered.  
  
"What?!" Jake asked almost alarmed, "What is it?!"  
  
I didn't respond, only stared at it.  
  
"Leigh?!" Someone was shaking me, "Leigh snap out of it!"  
  
Then I felt a hand connect to my cheek, leaving a stinking pain in my right cheek. I looked at who had done it. It was..Cassie. Cassie had slapped me to get me out of my stupor.  
  
Jake made a sound, drawing my attention to him. "What did you see that made you react that way?"  
  
"You think the Yeerks are bad?" I looked at the orb again, "The beings that created..created that filth are even worse."  
  
"What is it?" Rachel asked impatiently.  
  
I said nothing for a moment then began to tell them what I had seen.  
  
"There was fire, destruction, you usual chaos scene. People running, trying to get away, some bodies here and there, a baby or more wailing, screams, shouts, blood, bodies.all of the normal things. Then that thing." I motioned towards the ball, "Came along. It unfolds into some kind of organic robot and starts to finish what its masters started.." I didn't say anything after that.  
  
"What?" Cassie touched my arm, careful not to touch my skin. "What else did you see?"  
  
I shrugged, " Individual deaths..nothing more expect that I felt.."I paused again feeling like I was going to be sick. "It's glee.happiness. It liked killing those people. It liked to hunt and all..and worse part of it is.is that it knows exactly what it was doing. Killing everyone in sight.all gone, the cities, technology, culture, and entire fucking race.no planet, is gone."  
  
They were quiet for a while, I knew they were thinking about when they had to go up against the Howler but they, the Howlers, were like children, they did not know that what they did was wrong.  
  
I took a deep breath and let it out, while putting my glove back on.  
  
"So how do we use this against the Yeerks?" Jake asked us.  
  
"We don't" I answered. "Even I cannot wish that on my enemy, no matter what."  
  
"These are the Yeerks we're talking about." Rachel said, "They deserve what ever we throw at them."  
  
I said nothing, at first then said, "What I'm saying is, we can't use it anyway you look at it."  
  
"What do you mean?" Marco asked, "I see nothing wrong with using it to kill Visser Three or get rid of the Yeerks period."  
  
"I do." I looked at them all as they stared at me. "Mean, think about it, we might not be able to control the thing, and it might turn on us once it's through with the yeerks."  
  
Jake nodded, "True. But what else is there that you're not telling us?"  
  
Damn, he's giving me that look again.  
  
"There's an encryption code on it that is only accessible by three things." I grumbled, "One, it has to be attacked, two you have the password, and three, there's a key."  
  
"One is definitely out of the question." Marco said, "So that only leaves two and three."  
  
So how are we going to find it? Tobias asked.  
  
I can always try and hack into it. Ax suggested, All I have to do is key it in.   
  
I cleared my throat. "Three is out of the question." I informed them, "It was destroyed a long time ago, and so, the password is the only thing left."  
  
Suddenly they all turned towards me, "Do you know the password, Leigh?" Jake asked quietly, very quietly.  
  
"Yeah." I answered.  
  
"What is it?" He stared at me with a very serious expression that would make a tiger back down.  
  
"I won't tell you." I told him, "I can't allow you to do this."  
  
"It is not up to you to decide this, it's a group thing." He told me, "And as part of the group we shall vote on this."  
  
I clenched my teeth and glared at them. "Go ahead and vote, but you will not get my help from this."  
  
"Ok, all in favor?"  
  
Marco and Rachel raised their hand; Ax said he'd do it. So that only left Tobias, Cassie and Jake.  
  
"Wait." I said, I didn't wan to do this, but it had to be done. "Before you vote, why don't I let you see what I had seen, then you can do what ever you like."  
  
Can you do that? Ax asked curiously.  
  
I nodded, grimly looking at them. "Yes, but I need to be in contact with you, meaning you have to be able to touch my skin." I explained and rolled up my sleeves and took off the gloves.  
  
"All you have to do is allow the pictures to come to mind. If you resist it.." I trailed off and shrugged, "I don't know what would happen if you did."  
  
Jake and the others soon crowded me; Tobias was perched on my bare shoulder since I was wearing a tank top. Jake had one hand on my shoulder, Cassie's hand was on my other shoulder, and Marco and Rachel touched my arms, I touché Ax's arm since he held the orb.  
  
"Here goes nothing." I breathed and touched the orb as I channeled the memories and thoughts from another time.  
  
~* In my mind*~  
  
'Where are we?' Cassie asked.  
  
We were all there, in our morphing suits, Tobias was human and also in his morphing suit. Ax was just floating around.  
  
'Where's Leigh?' Jake asked looking around the darkness.  
  
*I am here. * I answered.  
  
'Where's here?' Marco asked.  
  
*My mind, duh. * I grumbled, *Now just watch the show kiddies. *  
  
'What-' Tobias began but was abruptly cut off.  
  
Before them was a city that resembles medieval Europe, only it was modern looking, with both spacecrafts and animals transportation. The people looked like the people of earth only their skins were either blue or green with black or brown hair. Some of them had blue-green skin but all of them had dark eyes.  
  
The market place was alive with people and children running around having fun, playing while the adults attends to business. Everything was going so well.  
  
***  
  
'I don't see anything wrong with this.' Rachel complained, 'What is it that you're trying to show us? Get to the point already!'  
  
*Shut up and watch! *  
  
***  
  
Then a shadow fell upon the market place, a flashes of light was fired in every direction and exploded into fire. People began running and screaming in fear. Mothers held their children close as they ran from the danger..only to die by the beast itself.  
  
The creature was tall, it's skin was red as garnet and eyes the color of a black hole; black and empty. The creature walked upright on two legs that looked like hind legs of a dog and it's face looked like a Hork-Bajir's. It's weapons would've made the Howlers seem docile in comparison as it went about, killing everything in sight, taking great delight in killing most very, very slowly. In one scene, there was a child that was crying. The child looked only about three or four months old.  
  
The creature stops and picks the child up.  
  
***  
  
'He's not.He can't!?' Cassie chocked back a sob as Jake put his arms around her. 'No one.not even the Howlers were that cruel.' ***  
  
The creature opened its mouth and bit into the baby, relishing in its screams as its blue blood trickles down the creature's throat and chin. It slowly devoured the child until there was nothing left but some clothes. Then it went back to killing and devouring people.until one person stopped it. She was the last of her kind, the last remnant of her people.  
  
She stood before the creature with a small sword, which seemed laughable now, and began to attack it. The creature seemed to enjoy this and played with her at first, until she dealt a shocking blow by cutting off its right arm. The creature stared at it's bleeding arm in shock as the tired woman took up her position once again to attack the creature with everything she had, which she knew would kill her.  
  
Before the creature could recover, she attacked, yelling something in the language of her people, casting the evil creature to back where it had came from; a small dark red ball. With her last ounce of energy, she sent the ball into space, hoping that it would fall into a star, and died.  
  
The ball, unfortunately, did not fall into a star, it had, instead, fallen to Earth where the Egyptians worshipped it as a god, than was lost once more until found by the Yeerks.  
  
~* Outside mind *~  
  
(Third Pov)  
  
The place disappeared and the Animorphs found themselves alone, and then suddenly, they were no longer in Leigh's mind. Now, they were still in the same spots as they have been before. Only difference was that Leigh was unconscious on the ground.  
  
(An: Hey, that kind of thing takes a lot out of a girl, you know?)  
  
"We can't do it, Jake." Cassie stated, "We can't release that thing on the Yeerks! Think about it, what if it comes after us? Or our other friends and family?"  
  
Jake said nothing for a moment, "Let's vote on it tomorrow."  
  
  
  
Leigh's Pov.  
  
I awoke in a room that was not my own, but familiar to me. I still felt a little sick and still felt tired. I mean, try pulling six other consciousness with you into a vision and see what happens!  
  
I wasn't all too sure if it would've worked. It was my first time trying to do something like that. I mean I've transferred memories to an individual before, but that was only once.  
  
I looked around and saw that I was at Cassie's. I got up and left. I needed time to think and sleep.  
  
So, I morphed into a red-tail hawk, and flew away from Cassie's farm.  
  
  
  
I sat on a bench in a park, watching the children play and going over my plans. Yes, I had plans, important ones at that that I needed to discuss with Kritra. But something nagged me in the back of my head about the whole thing. Would it work? What about the Animorphs?  
  
Could I, Leigh, start the process of eliminating the Yeerks from this world? Could I possibly set it loose, destroying everything in its path?  
  
The memories of the fight with the creature entered my thoughts again. I knew who had created it and it's race of dog demons. I knew how to stop it as well..but the question is: Do I really want to start this senseless massacre of sentient beings? Maybe, maybe not, I still not sure. I knew that time was running out..well, at least for me it is, if what I thought were true..  
  
I shook my head, "I have to get some sleep or something." I stood up leaving the park. My morphing suit could be considered a fashion statement or something close to it. My jazz pants were black, and my shirt was a white tank top. Grated that I was still bare footed, I didn't look too out of place in the town.  
  
As soon as I found a safe place to morph, I morphed back into a hawk and flew back to the farm.  
  
I landed and demorphed immediately, then started searching for my hiding spot of where I hide the dagger. I found the marked spot and dug it up.  
  
I then sat down with the gleaming object in my hands and concentrated on Kritra.  
  
In my mind..  
  
'Kritra?' I called out to her. I still couldn't see her, so it made it harder to talk to her. Meaning I didn't know what her expression would be.  
  
Ah, Leigh, so good of you to come. She answered. Have you located the Orb of Death?  
  
'Yes.'  
  
  
  
Splendid! Now you can get rid of all those Yeerks! And then.  
  
'Kritra' I began, interrupting her. ' Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, why don't we just tell them about this? It makes no sense to do this and then have to fight them because of different opinions.' I told her, 'I just hate having to do this. Even if we are not really friends, they deserve better!'  
  
She remained silent then, at least it felt that way, nodded her head. I understand your loyalty to them Leigh. She said in a low voice. But think about it. Have they ever treated you like a friend? Don't you feel like you're invading their little group? Or felt that something was amiss?  
  
I thought about it and all those times that I did spend with them. In nearly all situations, they needed me or were yelling at me. Though I think I just need to shut my mouth sometimes, but it still stung and suddenly, I wished I were back home, with my own friends, laughing, joking, swapping story ideas, anything like that. Instead, I'm here, alone, in the middle of a war I stumbled upon. It almost didn't seem real.are first, and the more I talked to Kritra; the more it seemed to make sense, at least to me.  
  
Don't you want this power of yours gone? She asked.  
  
' But then I couldn't talk to you!' I exclaimed. 'You've been my only friend here! I don't want to lose you even if it meant seeing unwanted visions for the rest of my life!' I felt her smile and was unease by this. Something was up, something wasn't right.  
  
Just what I wanted to hear. Her voice sounded odd and cold like ice. Now, find that orb and bring it back with you. Then, we shall release it on this world and the Yeerks shall perish!  
  
'Ok.' I said a bit hesitantly. 'But what about the Animorphs?'  
  
She seemed to ponder that for a while then answered, I-err-We shall think of something, but for now, the orb shall suffice.  
  
  
  
I broke the connection and stared down at the blade. I didn't like how this was going, I should tell the Animorphs about this, or at least Tobias or Cassie-someone who wouldn't judge me so harshly, even if I deserved it.  
  
I sighed and looked up at the canopy of pine trees. It was getting dark, and I should be getting home soon..Maybe.maybe this is for the best? Maybe I should tell them or I could just do it myself..  
  
I shook my head, Goddess, was I confused. So many things buzzing around in my head, making me feel dizzy. I had to get home or else my parents would go nuts again.  
  
With a final sigh, I buried the dagger and went home. I needed some sleep, cause tomorrow, I was going to steal the orb from Ax, and release the creature-  
  
Cabulawalliah.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: So? What do you think? I kind of got this idea from one of the people who reviewed my story. She said that Leigh seemed bitchy and all...like the type of person to turn on our heroes ... So I sort of ran with the idea..and this is what popped up! Oh, and I don't own the name Cabulawalliah, since it was a title in my lang. Arts book, but I own the creature, just not the name.  
  
Also as an answer to TPF: Well, of course she's bitchy. She's a very insecure about herself. Besides the fact that she has nightmares about killing people and so on and so forth. Leigh is just a problem child, that's all. Anyway, she shall remain bitchy until farther notice. *Nods head * 


	7. The truth comes outMostly

It was Tuesday, I couldn't get the orb on Sunday cause my mom had dragged me and my dad off to church and then we went to one of my relatives and.well you get the point there and Monday I had a club meeting in the morning for Cavalier and the afternoon, I had swim practice since I joined their swim team, then I had to baby-sit my little cousin cause her mom went shopping with my mom, and when I was done with all of that, I was totally exhausted. Two year olds can have that affect on people.  
  
So, I'm sitting in class trying to concentrate, or look like I am, but I jut couldn't get my mind off of what was to come that evening. My leg started to shake, cause I was nervous and I couldn't keep from glancing at the clock on the wall. The sad part of it was that this was only fourth period, and I had Marco and Jake in this class.  
  
I've been avoiding all of the Animorphs for a while and I know they want to talk to me since I didn't show up at the meeting on Sunday afternoon or had called anyone in a while. I guess they think that something was wrong.I don't know, but at this point, I was hoping that the day would be over so I could talk to Kritra and than get the orb. I had a feeling that that orb is vital to both sides of this war. I've overheard my mom talking on the phone late last night when she thought everyone was asleep that the Visser was royally pissed to find out that the orb had disappeared and that they have been searching for it ever since. She had told the other person on the phone that she thought it was the Andalite bandits that took it. The Yeerks believed that the Animorphs are Andalite warriors, hence 'Andalite Bandits', though there is only one true Andalite and a half-bred.  
  
So, I knew what I was up against, I just hope that I'd died quickly.  
  
The bell rang for lunch and I was out of there, before Marco or Jake could talk to me. I sat down in the courtyard, where there were some picnic tables under a pine tree.  
  
I took out my notebook and began to write. Not my usual stories, I assure you, but in a diary I had been keeping since I had moved hear. I used false names and false looks so that if anyone found it, they wouldn't know who it was about or would think that it was just a story.  
  
So, I was too busy writing to notice that they were there. The other members of the group that were human went to school, which also means that at school, we don't associated with each other that much, so we don't look too much like a clique, but that didn't mean we didn't talk to each other or have conversation with each other.  
  
"Hello, Leigh." I heard Jake say casually as he and the others sat down at the table with me.  
  
I didn't want to look up, didn't even want to know what they looked like at this point, but of course, I looked up like the idiot I was.  
  
Jake's face was pleasant, and neutral, Cassie looked a little worried but had a smile on her face, Rachel looked pissed, and Marco was amused.  
  
"Uh, hi." I said quietly and looked at other things. "So.what's up?"  
  
"The fact that you've been avoiding us lately, and didn't show up at the meeting.we got a little worried." Jake explained with a calm and control manner.  
  
I could tell that he was a little ticked off, but nothing much.  
  
"Well," I smiled a little, so nobody would think we were up to something. "My mom dragged my dad and me off to church than to a relatives house. We stayed there for hours before we came home, and I was out cold. Monday, I had other meetings to go to, you know, clubs and swim practice. Sorry I didn't call, but I was busy cause I had to baby-sit my cousin."  
  
"Nice, so, do you know that our friend with dogs said that they are still looking for his dog?" Marco asked. "You know, the rusty colored one?"  
  
I had been told that Erek was actually an android part of a race call Chee. They look like dogs standing on their hind legs and use holograms to pass as humans or any other object. The Chee helps the Animorphs by spying on the Yeerks and slipping them information or standing in for them from time to time.  
  
"Yeah, I heard my mom talking about it just the other day." I told him, "She said that his dad was royally pissed off about it. It was a prize champion after all. She told her friend that maybe some dog bandits took them or something, all I know is that they're searching like crazy for them."  
  
"So, you're coming today?" Rachel asked.  
  
I blinked, "Coming where?"  
  
She smirked, "Well, we thought it would be nice if we just hang out today at the mall, since we've got nothing better to do."  
  
I thought it over and readjusted my plans. It was going to take longer, but it would be over.  
  
I shrugged, "Sure, why not. It's not like I have anything else to do."  
  
"Cool, so see you at the Food Court?" Cassie asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Then the bell ranged and we had to go to our next class.  
  
  
  
I sat in the food court, just reading a book called Bastard!!!. It's pretty funny. A dark wizard trapped in the body of a kid, and then when he's released, he keeps getting hit upside the head by a girl that grew up with his false form.  
  
It was getting pretty interesting when Jake and them, 'accidentally' meet up in the place.  
  
I looked up from by book, "Hey guys." I called out to them. They walked up with Ax in his human morph and sat down.  
  
"Hey, Leigh, what's up?" Marco greeted.  
  
I shrugged, "Nothing much." I answered and looked at the could, "People sure do have a lot of enthusiasm for shopping, that's for sure."  
  
"that's because shopping it an art." Rachel told me. "And it looks like I'll have to take you and Cassie both shopping with me."  
  
Cassie and I exchanged glances. I shook my head, "As long as it's in the line of jeans and shirts, I'm fine." I told her.  
  
"What are you reading?" Cassie takes the book and looks at it.  
  
"Nothing but a comic book I bought at Walden's. I kind of got bored so I picked it up. It's pretty funny in some parts."  
  
They looked at each other than at the book. Ax looked up at me. "Why is this human, HUW-Manh, human wearing no artificial clothing?"  
  
I sighed, "I dunno." I shrugged, "It's just the way he appears. After all, he is trapped inside the body of a fourteen-year-old kid and he is the strongest wizard alive..or dead."  
  
Ax flipped through the pages and stopped at one, "What does this mean?" He showed us the page. A bunch a naked women with a man in the middle on the bottom of the page and on the top was a man talking to the heroine about the hero.who was evil, but coming to her rescue.  
  
Jake raised a brow at me, while Marco just stared, Rachel looked like she was blushing a little and Cassie just looked away.  
  
I looked over the page, "D.S. is honier than a mountain goat?" I looked at him, slightly amuse, "It means, Ax, that D.S. fucks a lot. He's a, horny ass pervert that has nothing better to do then wanting to take over the world." I rolled my eyes and shut the book, "Isn't that what every one wants to do? Take over Earth or destroy it? That's all it ever is in most books. Save the planet! Save this and that..nothing like certain death to get you in gear, huh?"  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Cassie asked looking worried again. "You seem distant lately."  
  
I snorted, "Not that I wasn't exactly open any way." I muttered, "Maybe it's just me, or is it that the orb is vital to both sides of the game?" Once again, we're speaking in code. Remember, Yeerks are everywhere. We don't want someone to accidentally over hear anything, now do we?  
  
"That's how the game works, what's the problem, can't get to the next level?" Marco asked tauntingly.  
  
I ignored his tone and looked at my drink, "No, just wondering if you guys ran into the same problems as I did. I mean, it is a very difficult and complex game. I mean, I had the orb, and everything's just find, but then it got stolen. Now I have to find the damn thing again."  
  
"You had the orb?"  
  
I rolled my eyes, "No, it was being kept by a friend, I believe he still has it." I looked pointedly at Ax. "Don't you?"  
  
"It was there the last time I played the game." Ax announced. Ax had been hanging around long enough to know what the hell we were talking about.  
  
"Tobias is still playing the game now."  
  
I nodded, "Ah, well, looks like I'll have to find away to get it back then." I got up, "I've got to go, Mom wants me home by eight." I took my books and left. "See ya tomorrow."  
  
  
  
I stared at the digital numbers of my clock, waiting for everyone to fall asleep. It was now three in the morning, and there wasn't a single sound in the house. I closed my eyes briefly then got up and open the window. Goddess knows that I didn't want to go and do it, but Kritra had convinced me that there was a way to control the Cabulawalliah; all I had to do was create a link with it or a key, to bind it to me.  
  
I breathed in and then out, then began to morph owl. Good thing about owls was that they were silent and had good hearing and eyesight at night like hawks had during the day.  
  
After I morphed, I flew out into the night sky, savoring the calm and peace for the moment.  
  
I didn't want to think about the mission Kritra had sent me to do or about their reactions. I just wanted to feel the wind beneath my wings and the moon, in its crescent form, glow softly behind me.  
  
But all good things must come to an end, as I neared the forest. I landed and demorphed then waited a few minutes.  
  
The woods were very quiet to my human ears and very dark to my human eyes. I strained to hear things, anything out of the ordinary, but heard nothing but the eerie quietness that surrounded me. It was time to morph..into my battle morph, a panther.  
  
I concentrated on the DNA that swam around in my blood.  
  
The first thing that happened was that a tail began to grow out of the base of my spine, already swishing back and forth. My ears moved to the top of my head, becoming furry and black. My face bulged out into a muzzle of a big cat and my head became more squared and a little big. My arms thickened with muscles that no human had, and my hands turned into big black paws with soft leather padding on the underside. I grew an inch or three in length, as my legs turned into hind legs of a panther. Whiskers grew out of my mouth as the morph began to complete itself.  
  
I braced myself for the panther brain.  
  
It came out, not exactly like it walked to kill everything in sight, but..it felt confident, secure, like it could kick anyone's ass.  
  
I took over the brain and sniffed the air, searching for any scent that wasn't apart of the woods.  
  
Let's see.. I smell humans.a pack of wolves..hmmm.ah, there, that strange smell, that should be him.  
  
Then I took off running, feeling the power that was in my body. It felt great having this liquid grace and knowing that I was the biggest badest thing in the neighborhood.  
  
I slowed down as the smell became stronger. Then another scent hit my nose, one that was confusing.human or bird? I soon realized that it was just Tobias. I crouched low as I heard in my head.  
  
I'm going to feed now. I'll see you in a little while, Tobias. Ax said and began to gallop away.  
  
See ya later, Ax-man, I'm getting some shut eye. Tobias calls out and closes his eyes.  
  
I waited until Ax was far enough away to search for the orb. I crept carefully through their home, looking for it. Damn, where the hell did he put it? I wondered.  
  
I heard the sound of hooves and knew that I would have to come back some other time and get the orb.  
  
I left quickly, heading out towards where I had landed and demorphed.  
  
I quickly demorphed and sighed. Damn it! Kritra will not be happy about this. I shook my head, why do I even bother with her? Is it because she knows something about the Yeerks that I don't? Or is it because she knows something about the orb and the dagger? I mean, her consciousness is trapped within the dagger.. I raked my hand through, my hair and morphed into an owl and flew back home to get some sleep. I have other chances of getting the orb and I'm going to use it to its fullest.  
  
  
  
I sighed as I stared at the sheet of music. It was my last class of the day, usually my favorite one; orchestra. I played the viola, which is similar to a violin, only bigger and with lower strings. (You know, a viola has four strings that are: A, D, G, and C. While a violin has E, A, D, and G.)  
  
My teacher was talking to the second violins, telling them to play out more. I snorted and mumbled to my stand partner. "Those seconds can't play out even if their lives depended on it"  
  
"No kidding." She said.  
  
After that half hour of torture with the violins still screwing up, the bell ranged and we packed up our stuff, and were ready to leave.  
  
I was still packing up my bow, when Jake and Marco came by. Did I mention that they had gym, which is right next door to the orchestra room?  
  
I looked up after zipping up my case. "Hey, what are you guys doing here?" I asked with a slight smile, "Thinking about joining my group?"  
  
"Nah," Marco said, "Besides, Jake might break something and who knows how much these things cost?"  
  
"I would, they would probably be about over two hundred, depending on where you got it from." I answered putting my folder up, "So what brings you here to the torture chamber of music?"  
  
"Well," Jake began, "Ax said he saw something very interesting last night. "  
  
I turned towards him, after getting everything into my bag. "Oh?" I shrugged then pulled my book bag on. "What would that be? A cinnamon bun cart?"  
  
"No, but just as bizarre."  
  
I walked out of the room, with Jake and Marco in tow as I went down on set of stairs and through the cat and down and other flight of stairs to get to my locker.  
  
"So, what is it?" I asked, emptying my book bag and putting in some books I needed to read.  
  
"At Rachel's since Rachel's mom and sisters won't be home for a while." Jake told me.  
  
I shut my locker and looked at them, "I'd be glad to go, but you see.I have no idea where all you people live, ya know."  
  
"Well, Marco will show you, won't you Marco?" asked looked at his friend.  
  
Marco shot Jake a glare and nodded, "Sure."  
  
So that's how I ended up at Rachel's, with the others. We were waiting on Jake to get there, so we just chilled, doing some semi-normal stuff.  
  
As for me, I was sitting on the floor, scowling at a book I had to read for class; A separate peace.  
  
I tried reading it, but I just couldn't get past the first chapter, let alone read to chapter five!  
  
Finally I gave up and slammed the book closed while growling, a habit I picked up from when I was little. My dad used to growl at me-still does-and so I growl back. Now I do it any time when I'm annoyed, which is constantly.  
  
"What was that?" Marco asked and looked at me. "Oh, it was just you."  
  
I growled at him and shoved my book in my book bag. "I don't know why I have to read that piece of.." I growled again not even finishing the sentence.  
  
"What?" Cassie asked.  
  
"A separate peace." I bit out. "The most boring book that was ever created on this planet!"  
  
There was a knock on the door and Rachel went to open it. A few seconds later, Jake walked in with Rachel in tow.  
  
"How's it going?" Jake asked.  
  
"Fine." Cassie said.  
  
"It would've been better if those girls would only stop calling me at all hours." Marco told him with a goofy grin.  
  
I raised a brow as did every one else.  
  
"What girls?" I asked, "Oh, you mean your imaginary little friends."  
  
"Yeah, like guys are really beating down your door." He shot back.  
  
"Maybe that's because I don't want a boyfriend or need one." I told him, "Why would I need one?"  
  
"There you have it, ladies and gents, a real live example of Destiny's Child, Independent Woman." Marco said.  
  
"Ok, ok, now settle down you two or we'll have to put you in time out." Jake said, "Now, lets get this over with. Ax?"  
  
Ax was in his human morph, so the neighbors wouldn't think anything was wrong.  
  
Nothing to worry about folks, just your friendly, every day alien neighbor just taking his alien pet for a walk. See? Nothing wrong with that? As if.  
  
"Last night, someone tried to steal the orb. O-Or-Or-Buh. Orb." Ax told us. "Luckily, they did not find the orb since it is not where they thought it was to be."  
  
"Who would do this?" Cassie asked, "No one knows about Ax living there.so who would try and steal it?"  
  
"Some one who knows about us." Rachel said, "Someone who knows the true value of the orb.."  
  
"Someone, who has a talent for things..like say? Seeing into the past?" Marco looks at me.  
  
"Leigh." Jake said looking at me "Is there something you're not telling us? About the orb or the dagger?"  
  
Damn, I thought he had forgotten about that damn thing.  
  
"Like what?" I asked looking at them.  
  
"Like something.like a secret or something like that?" Rachel inquired, "You didn't answer us when we asked about the dagger. What is it about that dagger? Where is it?"  
  
I swallowed and weighed my options. On one hand, I could tell them nothing and be tricked into being trapped in a morph..or on the other hand, I could tell them the whole thing..hmmm. decisions, decisions. Ok, I pick the third options, tell them a little about it, and then think it over.  
  
"Ok," I began, "I didn't tell you the whole truth about the stinkin' dagger, but I didn't lie about it either." I sat up, "The dagger, has..a type of consciousness to it. It calls itself, Kritra, whom I communicate to."  
  
"When have you talked to this.thing?" Jake asked.  
  
"You remember when you couldn't find me? Well, I was in the woods the whole time, talking to Kritra. She is the last actual consciousness of the Vashia. At least, that was what I have been told."  
  
"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Cassie asked, "Don't you trust us?"  
  
I looked at her for a moment and shrugged, "I haven't trusted anybody in a very long time, Cassie. It's very hard to trust someone." I told her, "Any way, I was told not to tell you about her among other things."  
  
Like what? Tobias demanded from his perch on a chair.  
  
I shook my head, "I can't say, for sure, but what I am telling you, I shouldn't be saying at all."  
  
"Then why tell us this? Why are you after the orb as well?" Marco demanded.  
  
I stood up, "Because, I do not trust Kritra anymore." I told them simply, "That and plus, I do have some respect for you. Besides, you do deserve to know some of it."  
  
"Some of it?" Rachel repeated incredulously, "Some of it?!" Her eyes narrowed dangerously at me. "How about all of it? I mean, we're the ones that helped you, and gave you the power to help others as well as yourself and you go and do this shit? And then say we deserve some of it? Fuck that, we need to know all of it!"  
  
"Calm down Rachel." Jake told her then looked at me, "She's right though, more or less, you do owe us an explanation about the dagger and the orb."  
  
Now I was at the crossroads again, either I spill or not. Choices are such a bitch.  
  
"Ok, I'll tell you more, but not all of it." I conceded.  
  
Rachel and Marco looked like they were going to argue, but Jake said "Fine."  
  
I took a breath, here goes nothing. "Ok, you see, the orb is called the Orb of Chaos or the Orb of Destruction.." I paused then went on, "Kritra believes that we can use it to destroy the Yeerks, wipe them out entirely. But to do that, we have to know how to control the damn thing."  
  
"You found a way to control the orb?" Cassie asked.  
  
"Yes, but I won't tell you how." I told them, "Now, Kritra wants me to get the orb. Since I talk to her often, we make plans and other things.she's like a friend to me.but.but now." I looked at the wall on the other side of the room, "She's different..vengeful or something, not the same one I knew from before. I think she has.other plans for the orb from what I wanted to use it. But I have no way of knowing it, so.."  
  
"You tried to steal the orb from Ax and Tobias." Cassie concluded, "But what were you going to do with it once you had it?"  
  
I scratch my head a little and shrugged, "That's where things get kind of sketchy." I admitted, "See, originally, I was suppose to bring it back to Kritra and let her use the binding spell or whatever to get herself out of the dagger. But, I got suspicious and had planned on, hiding the orb where neither you nor the Yeerks or any ones for that matter, could find it without me to guide them. You would have to deal with me, before you ever catch a glimpse of it, let alone the location."  
  
After a moment of digesting of what I had told them, Cassie finally spoke up, "So, are you still going to take the orb?"  
  
I looked at her, right into her eyes. "I'm not sure anymore." I answered truthfully, "Maybe I will, and maybe I won't. But if I do, I would hide it. Away from anyone and everyone." I smirked, "Including myself. "  
  
"So now what?" Marco asked out loud, "Not only do we have the Yeerks to deal with, but we also have some ghost haunting a freakin' knife, that is, by the way, insane! And an equally crazy, not to mention psychic chick, that is one of our own after the damn orb." He looks around at us all, "And I ask you, when will the insanity ever stop?! When man?!"  
  
"When we die." I answered, "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Either way, neither you nor the Yeerks can activate it without the password and to top it off, it's hacker proof. You'll need either me or Kritra to tell you the password, and I wouldn't trust Kritra with anything."  
  
"You did." Rachel muttered. "Trusted her a lot more than us, obviously."  
  
I scowled at her, "Yeah, well, there's something called mistakes, Rachel. I'm not exactly little Miss Perfect as you seemed to be so lay off." I picked up my stuff, "Besides, I still have that damn test tomorrow, I've got to run, ciao."  
  
After I left, they all turned to Jake. "We'll have to watch her, Jake." Marco told him seriously, "She could squeal to the Yeerks about us or use the orb."  
  
Rachel nodded in agreement. "She's dangerous."  
  
Jake looked at them all, only to find a thoughtful expression on Cassie's face.  
  
"What are you thinking about Cass?" He asked. He had always trusted her instincts and judgment about people cause she was usually right.  
  
"She won't tell." Cassie told them, "But.maybe.just maybe she is still on our side, only using different technique then us. She just needs time to think right."  
  
"I hope you're right about this Cass." Jake said.  
  
"Cassie, you're off your rock." Marco announced.  
  
"Did she have a rock to being with?" Ax asked curiously. 


	8. Leigh's Family ProblemAn agreement

Sorry I haven't updated lately...now I have a writers block! Suggests are welcomed! Enjoy!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter seven  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I sat on a bench of a deserted old park that was on the way to Cassie's, though I wasn't going there. I should be getting to school, I should be getting to my first period, but I'm not.  
  
Why, you ask, am I skipping school? It's because if I go, I wouldn't be able to think about my own problems, and one of the most difficult decisions I had ever had. Whether or not to use the orb and who do I listen to? Kritra or the Animorphs?  
  
I sighed, I had a lot of thinking to do.  
  
A few hours later, found me wandering around the city, it was almost time for school to let out and I didn't know what to do. I mean, Kritra was my friend and some one I could relate to on some level. She had listened to me and answered as truthfully as possible. At least, I think she did.  
  
Then, there's the Animorphs. What can I say about them? I can relate to them just as easily as I could Kritra....but not as much. I still feel like an alien in their mist, even if I argue and joke with Marco or Ax, I still feel out of place. I don't know any more. I mean, they're nice and all even tried to make me apart of their group in some ways. It's nice, though, to feel as if you belong somewhere.anywhere. But I'm not feeling that.  
  
Not from them, Kritra, or even my own home. It's like I walk through life but I'm nothing more than a ghost or something. Living, but not really feeling like I was alive, nothing seems real to me anymore. The Yeerks, Andalites, my mom, a controller, my dad acting like everything's fine, school, and .everything. It feels like I'm dreaming or in a bad movie that won't stop. Or maybe, I'm afraid for it to stop, for it to be nothing more than a dream..  
  
  
  
I glanced at my watch, it's three: forty. They should be out by now. Maybe I need to get a grip and decide on how I'm going to do this, cause there's no way in heaven or hell that the Yeerks are going to get the orb.  
  
  
  
  
  
It was late that afternoon that found me in the last place I had ever wanted to be...Cassie's barn.  
  
I don't know why I was there; I guess I had just wandered around submersed in my own thoughts, not really paying an attention to where I was going.  
  
"Hey there Leigh!" Cassie's mom calls, greeting me. She met me that morning when I had spent the night at their house. She was very nice and works at the zoo part of the Garden.  
  
I smiled back at her, "Hi, what's new?"  
  
"Nothing really, you're looking for Cassie?"  
  
Damn, I hate to lie to such nice people. "Yeah, seen her around?"  
  
She nods, "She's in the barn with her friends." She shrugs and smiled a little, "I don't know what it is with those kids...they're always hanging out at the barn."  
  
I smirked, "Well, not much to do, I suppose. A kid's got to have some place to hang other than the mall."  
  
"Well, nice seeing you Leigh, see you later." She calls as she got in her car and drove off.  
  
"Yeah," I said quietly, more to myself than anyone else, "See ya."  
  
I shook my head; I was going soft or something. Yeah... that was it..  
  
I wandered pass the barn, seeing them in there pretending that they weren't talking about me or the orb or something like that. I knew they saw me, I also knew that they were watching me, which was fine with me.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked angrily. "I thought you didn't trust us or in fact, hated us."  
  
I looked at her, "My feelings for you guys don't conflict with my actions." I told her. "In other words, I don't hate you.or even dislike you.besides, it's a free country.almost, I can walk wherever I like to."  
  
"Don't mind Rachel, she's just mad that we can't fight." Cassie smiled apologetically to me.  
  
"The Visser is now, not only looking for the orb, but he's looking for the dagger as well."  
  
I snorted, "Stupid fart."  
  
"He isn't such a stupid fart if he can turn into the most deadliest creatures in the universe." Jake pointed out. "What brings you here?"  
  
I shrugged, "Nothing really, just been wandering around, thinking, that's all."  
  
"Is that why you weren't in school?" Cassie asked, "You've just been wandering around the city?"  
  
I nodded, "Yeah, not like I had anything else better to do. Besides, I wouldn't have concentrated on anything anyway." I turned and looked out towards the woods, where the dagger and the orb were hidden inside its maze of trees and foliage. "I want the orb." I told them coldly, "It'll be better if you just tell me where it is."  
  
"Why should we?" Rachel demanded, "What would you do if we don't tell you?"  
  
I looked over my shoulder at her, "I don't have to do anything, just the simple knowledge that I'm looking for it as well as the fact that I'm persistent, will make you nervous." I turned half way towards them, "And nervous people, scared people, always make mistakes, even if they are the smallest, unnoticeable things, will be their downfall."  
  
"So," Marco looked me over, "You're going to kill us?"  
  
There was a pregnant pause for a moment as we stared at one another.  
  
Then finally I shook my head, "No, I won't kill you. I'm not a murder, I don't kill people just because they won't do what I say."  
  
Looking intrigued by this response, Cassie walks up to me and just stared at me, as if she was trying to find my true intent. "So, are you threatening us then?"  
  
I looked thoughtful, "I don't know, what is considered being a threat to you." I answered truthfully. "All I want is the orb."  
  
"I'm sorry, but we won't give you the location of the orb." Jake announced.  
  
I shrugged and smiled a little, "Good," I turned, "It will make it a lot more interesting then you just handing it over."  
  
What if we needed you in a battle or mission, would you turn on us? Tobias asked in my head.  
  
"Now that is rhetorical question, Tobias." I shook my head again, "How many times do I have to say it? I'm nothing like David. I won't turn on you or turn you in. If I want a fight, it'll be between you and me." I looked at my watch, "Gotta run, SYL." Then I left.  
  
Jake looks at his friends, "What do you think?"  
  
Surprisingly, it was Tobias who spoke up first; We can trust her.just not with the orb. Cassie agreed with him.  
  
"But we still have to watch her." Marco told them, "After all, if the Visser found out our friend had something to do with the little dagger thing, than we're in big trouble."  
  
  
  
As soon as I walked in, I heard my parents arguing again. I sighed, it was becoming more frequent now, it seems that all they ever do is fight. I went up to my room and closed the door, hoping that I wouldn't be able to hear the noise. But I guess the walls are thinner than they seemed.  
  
"I don't know why I ever put up with you!" I heard my dad yell at my mom, "You are acting weird and to top that off you hurt Leigh! Your own daughter!? How could you?!"  
  
"If she hadn't lost that damn dagger, then none of this would happen!" She yells back, "If she had only read the piece of shit then we would've been paid and everything could've been fine!"  
  
There was a pause, "Is that all you ever think about?" He asked her, "The money? Only the money? What about Leigh? Doesn't she have a right to this?"  
  
"To what?"  
  
"If she didn't give the dagger back to them, then she must have felt that it was either too valuable or too dangerous to give it back to them. Who knows what it could've been used for?"  
  
"She does, obviously. Remember? She's the one with that freaky power." I could hear her moving around down there. "Besides, she isn't even ours..well maybe yours but definitely not mine."  
  
  
  
I sat up on my bed. What does she mean by that? ' " she isn't even ours"' or the other part of it, ' "maybe yours but not mine."'?  
  
I was confused now. What the hell is going on? Are they really my parents? What are they not telling me?  
  
  
  
I went to the staircase that was near the front door. I sat on them, listening hard to what my parents were talking about.  
  
"Shhh.." My father hushed her, "At any rate, we've never told her. Besides, Starry could've been lying to us when she told us that the baby was mine and she couldn't take care of her."  
  
I heard my mom snorted as she opened the fridge. "More like she was a bitch that got knocked up and wasn't responsible enough to take care of the brat." The fridge door slammed closed, and cabinets opened and shut as the clinking of glasses being set down was heard. "If she hadn't had died and her mother being the stubborn bitch that she was, we could've gotten a sample of her blood, to see who's child Leigh really was."  
  
"Are you implying that Starry kidnapped the child when she was an infant and passed her off as her own?" Dad asked incredulously.  
  
"Anything's possible to that cheap ass whore."  
  
"But still, it is no way to treat a child like Leigh." My father announced going back to the topic, "She's special like that. She's a good kid, and she's very creative. She can't help that her parentage is a bit...mysterious or that she has these gifts."  
  
"I still say we should've given her to the orphanage back in Murrayville. They would've taken her."  
  
"True, but she was given to us, and we should be glad we have her." Then what he said next almost made me want to laugh, though I wasn't feeling very humorous at the moment. "Like you would ever have kids anyway you slice it."  
  
I heard her stomp her foot in rage and scream at him, "It's not my fault you dickless son of a bitch that I was born this way, without a womb! Any way, I've had better than you!"  
  
With that, she let out a frustrated yell and marched out of the house, going right by me.  
  
  
  
I stood, and looked at the living room..So, all this was a lie? I wondered. I wasn't really theirs. I mean, if I was adopted or something like that, then it would be ok. But this. I swallowed and went up to my room again, my mind was loaded with questions, and I'm not sure if my so-called 'dad' could answer it.  
  
I rolled over and switched off the light in my room, but all though my mind and body was tired, I couldn't sleep. As hard as I tired to get some sleep, I couldn't stop thinking on what they had said. It all seemed so bizarre. I mean, if I was really kidnapped, then why hasn't anyone been looking for me? Do they even know that I exist? Did my real mom still worry about me? Did she miss me at all? Where they still looking for me?  
  
A million questions and none of them could be answered. Eventually, I got some sleep that night, my mind still on the questions that still plague me into sleep.  
  
  
  
The bell ranged, and it was time to go home. All through the day I had been walking from one class to another as if in a dream. I mean, I couldn't concentrate on anything at all. Even at lunch, I didn't notice either Cassie or Jake talking to me; I was just out of it.  
  
So, I'm walking home, everything seemed to be.out of focus still. I mean, how can the world still go on? I guess it doesn't matter any more of who you are or what you're doing. People will always stay ignorant to many things until you show it to them. It also meant that after I dropped my stuff off at my house, that I had nowhere to go. There was no meeting, there were no missions, and I didn't feel like searching for the damn orb.  
  
So, instead, I settled for going to the mall.  
  
  
  
I sat in the food court, just eating some nachos with extra cheese and jalapeno peppers in it with a large root beer.  
  
I just stared at the people, coming and going, talking with their friends, or talking on their cell phones, things like that. I really wasn't paying much attention to the people themselves, it was all like background that you just ignore. To me, they were faceless dolls, moving colors, nothing was really being seen. All I could see and hear was my parents, talking about me.  
  
I sat up and leaned on the table, propped up on my elbows, with my hands covering my face. I felt the first drops of tears slid down my cheeks and soak up into my gloves.and all I could think about was: Just who are these people? Why..why is this happening to me?  
  
Now don't get me wrong here, I mean, I know Tobias's situation, never meeting his parents..or remember his mother..but at least he knew exactly who they were. Even if it did take years to find out that he was, essentially, half Andalite.  
  
For me, there's no way of knowing who my parents' are..or were. I mean, could be just like the book and movie, 'The Face on the Milk Carton.' Or whatever it was called. At least she eventually found out who her parents were.  
  
"Hey Leigh," Jake walked over to me, my face was still covered in my hands, "What's up with you today? I mean, Coach would've popped a vein when you didn't answer him."  
  
Cassie and the others were with him, again, since they had 'accidentally' met up somewhere in the mall.  
  
I didn't answer as they sat down at the table. "Yeah, and in Social Studies, I could've sworn that Mrs. Maryland was going to give you detention for sure!" Rachel added.  
  
"What is Detention?" Ax asked, of course, he was in human morph. Can't have blue centaurs running around the mall, now can we?  
  
"What is wrong with you?" Cassie asked; I could hear the concern in her voice. "You've been quiet all day."  
  
"Yeah," Marco chimed in, "And you haven't insulted me yet?"  
  
I looked at them with red eyes, and said nothing for the moment.  
  
"Leigh..what happened?"  
  
I wiped my face off, "Nothing..just family problems." I cracked a watery smile, "Nothing..too serious like someone died or anything."  
  
"No, tell us." Tobias was there too, I guess it was an outing for the Animorphs. "Maybe we can help."  
  
"Unless you can find people, there's nothing you can do."  
  
"But we can, after all, we have Ax, remember?" Marco stated, "So what's the deal? You've been acting like a zombie all day."  
  
I took a breath and told them everything.  
  
  
  
I sipped my soda, and looked at them, "And after that, she left, probably to her friends or something, cause she didn't come back until the next morning, and even then she wouldn't look at me, like I was some ghost or something."  
  
They didn't say anything to me, it was as if it was a bit too much for them or else they were just as confused as I was.  
  
Finally, Jake late out a long sigh and ran his hand through his dark brown hair. "Man, now that's confusing."  
  
"You're telling me" I muttered and took another sip of my drink, "And that's the censored verse, you should hear what they were really saying." I rubbed my face, "Talk about a shock to your system, huh? Don't know whether I've been kidnapped as a baby or if I'm a fucking bastard."  
  
"What is a bastard?" Ax asked, after eating all my food and my drink, since I've ordered another one, you can tell that he would probably eat the box too if Jake hadn't have said anything.  
  
"It's a rude way of saying illegitimate." Tobias answered, "You know, born on the wrong side of the blanket, or born out of wedlock."  
  
"Oh."  
  
I sighed, "There's nothing that can be done about it. After all, it's the people who raise you that counts." I looked at them, "Right?"  
  
Tobias shrugs, "I don't know, maybe it does." He still had this weird black expression on his face.  
  
I guess being a hawk for so long does that to you.  
  
"I wonder if they even know that I know now?" I said out loud, "I need to find out who the hell this Starry person is or was. Dad said she's dead.but I wonder if she really is dead."  
  
"What do you mean?" Marco asked.  
  
"You see," I began, "mom said that if Starry's mother wasn't so stubborn about getting the blood sample then they could compare mine to hers. But what if there is no body? What if Starry faked her death?"  
  
"Like Marco's mom?" Cassie asked, "I mean, why would she do that?"  
  
"To keep a secret a secret." Jake answered, "Think about it, if there's three people, who know the same secret, the best way to keep it a secret is to kill two of them. Dead men tell no tales."  
  
Marco rolled his eyes, "Great, Jake thinks he's a philosopher."  
  
"He's got a point." I said, "But.." I looked around us, then back at them, "This isn't the time or the place for such things. Besides, it doesn't matter." I stood up and lean in close to them, "I still want that orb. If the orb and the dagger are a part of something big, it's best that I keep them."  
  
"No." Jake said sternly, "You will not have the orb."  
  
I shrugged, "Ok, well SY." Then I left.  
  
  
  
  
  
I wasn't sure why I was there in my panther morph. I mean, I thought I didn't want to find the orb, but now I guess it's now mandatory to find it. The question was, what the hell was I going to do with it? No one knew where the dagger was and they didn't know where the orb was. Now that I know that the orb wasn't at Ax's scoop then that meant that it was somewhere out in the woods, somewhere far away from civilization. All I have to do is to find it.  
  
I demorphed from panther to human, preparing to morph into a wolf, when my human ears picked up something. It was loud, and there were many of them. I then realized that it could be anyone and that they were looking for something. I quickly morphed into a wolf and hid among the bushes and trees. I could smell them, humans, but they smelled familiar, like I should know them.  
  
"Which way did she go?" I heard Jake asked.  
  
I don't know. Tobias answered.  
  
I heaved a sigh, trotting up to them.  
  
"Don't move." Cassie announced to everyone. "If we don't move, it'll probably just go away."  
  
I promptly sat down.  
  
Macro sniggered, "'It'll probably go away' she says."  
  
You know, I am a girl, not an it you idgets. I told them.  
  
"Idget?" Rachel frowned, "What's and idget?"  
  
People who are idiots that are midgets.  
  
"So, that'll be Marco."  
  
No shit Sherlock. I told her and began to demorph. Why are yo- I had lost the ability to communicate through thought-speech as my mouth formed into a human one.  
  
I waited until I was mostly human, to ask, "Why are you guys here?"  
  
"Back at ya." Macro squints a little, trying to see me, "Is it me or are you harder to see?"  
  
"It must be you." I answered, "Besides, you guys know why I'm here, why you're here is really the mystery."  
  
"Well, we were looking for you." Jake told me.  
  
"For what?"  
  
The dagger, of course. Ax answered. He was in his normal body, a blue centaur cross between a scorpion with two eyes at the end of some stalks.  
  
I raised a brow, "Really? Now why do you need the dagger if you cannot use it?"  
  
"We have to let Visser Three get it so he could stop going after the orb. That way we'll have more time to figure out how to use it and how to control it." Rachel said, "And we need the location of it."  
  
I blinked, and then shook my head, "Bullshit. Like hell I'm giving it to you! After all, you still have the orb." After a moment, I fell quiet, "Alright, I'll give it to you, tomorrow since it's Saturday."  
  
They all agreed and they left, while I continued to search for the orb.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: I know that chapter sucks, but I'm running out of Ideas.. Any way, yes it is possible for women to be born without a womb, very, very, very rare, but possible. Any questions e-mail me. Just click on my name and then e-mail address. I'll answer anything and everything to the best of my abilities. 


	9. Let's make a deal

Don't own Animorphs but I do own Leigh and other new things.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter eight  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was Saturday afternoon when I showed up. The others were there waiting for me to come.  
  
They weren't doing anything much, just standing around, talking to one another when I walked up.  
  
Tobias, of course noticed me first, after all, hawks have the best eyesight by day. He must have told the others since they all turned to look at me.  
  
"Do you have it?" Jake asked, his voice was bland and his face was blank.  
  
  
  
I raised a brow; "The question is do I want to give it to you?" I said and pulled it out with gloved hands, "Of course not, but it would buy us some time to figure out what to do." I hand it over to Jake, "But I still won't release the Cabulawalliah until it is time to. " I looked at each one, "but I'm also willing to try a lot to kick Visser Three's ass. So, I want to cut a deal with you."  
  
  
  
Rachel and Marco looked at each other and then at me. Marco was kind of like a security general or something, he worries about security, while Rachel is the reckless crazy Xena, Warrior Princess that has a killer sense about deals..on anything. Cassie is the person to look to when you want to know a person's true motive; she has the most insight out of the group.  
  
Ax was the technician of the group...and Tobias..well; he's the look out/ spy of the group.  
  
I'm not sure where I stand in this odd assortment of people. I'm a clairvoyant, I see the past, not the future, I'm shrewd, maybe, and I write stories....what kind of person am I to be in this group?  
  
Maybe the person that deals with the supernatural shit. I thought mildly amused. Every group has them.  
  
  
  
"What kind of deal?" Marco asked with narrowed eyes. Hey, he might look at life like it's a joke, but boy-o is as shrewd and cautious as they come!  
  
I smirked, "Well, seeing as neither the yeerks nor you can access the orb.or have the mentality to control it, I'll release the abomination and control it for you."  
  
Rachel also narrowed her eyes, as she looked me over, "How do we know that you won't turn on us like David? How do we know that you won't betray us?"  
  
I nodded, "Well, to that, I have no idea." I told her, "But really, I have no use for it except to kill Visser Three. I don't need money, I have plenty of that on my own.so really I have no motive of terminating you."  
  
  
  
Jake looked at Cassie then at me, "What's the catch?"  
  
Smart boy, good leader as well.  
  
"Well, the catch of this is.... I need a place away from were the battle is taking place to do this. Plus.." My face became a blank; "I'll need something to concentrate on to channel it all to the beast. But other than that..nothing else is needed."  
  
"That's it?" Cassie asked, "What do you get out of it?"  
  
"Surprisingly, nothing at all."  
  
"And we get Visser Three off our backs as well as most of the yeerk invasion." Marco said looking me over, "But I can't place you as, 'I'm doing this for my country' thing. Why are you doing this?"  
  
I blinked then shrugged, "Two birds with one stone Polo, you get the Visser out of your hair, I get Kritra and the orb out of mine."  
  
  
  
What does that mean? Tobias looks at me closely with one of his golden eyes.  
  
  
  
"Well, of course, after all this is done, I'll hide the orb and dagger. They'll never be seen again."  
  
  
  
Jake looks at the group then at me, "We'll have to talk this over."  
  
"Sure, take your time."  
  
  
  
  
  
"So, what do you guys think?" Jake asked the group.  
  
"I still don't trust her." Rachel said, "She could still double cross us."  
  
Marco nodded in agreement, "Yeah, man, but " He glanced over to where the said person was, staring off into space, "Think about it. She really doesn't gain anything by helping us. Her mom would still, probably don't like her, and she was never normal to begin with..so we can probably trust her."  
  
  
  
I believe you two are both right. Ax told them, Leigh obviously seems to have an ulterior motive, but at the moment she needs us to do something for her...protect her while she is in a meditative state. We need her to control the machine.   
  
  
  
Cassie glanced at Leigh then at them, "She hurts deep inside." She said quietly, "She'll help us, even if she doesn't like us very much. I say we help her."  
  
Jake looks up, "Tobias?"  
  
Tobias answered with out shifting his gaze from the landscape, I agree with Cassie and the others.   
  
Jake nods and gave them one of his rare smiles, " I guess it's settled."  
  
"Let's do it!" Rachel said.  
  
  
  
"Leigh."  
  
  
  
I turned at the sound of my name at the six, "Well?" I raised an arched eyebrow.  
  
"We'll help you." Jake told me.  
  
  
  
I began to say something when he added, "But, if you betray us in anyway, we'll kill you."  
  
I looked him in the eye; hmph, the boy speaks the truth. Ah, well, had I expected anything less from them?  
  
I raised my hand to him and he took it, "Ok, Jake, but now the only thing remains is the plans and the orb." I let go and looked away, "I don't want the orb now, maybe later. Right now, we have to give it to some yeerk flunky and not get caught." I looked at them out of the corner of my eye, "Got any ideas?" 


	10. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong...

AN: Been a long time, oh well. The monster is mine, Leigh is mine, but not the Animorphs. ***= scene change  
Chapter nine  
Ok, this was not what I had in mind when I had asked them about the plans. It seems that Jake's older brother is a high-ranking yeerk officer. How very convenient...  
Anyway, this was Rachel's brain baby, edited by Cassie and Marco. We're supposed to bust up a Yeerk meeting (aka the Sharing) and fight the good fight then retreat, leaving the dagger behind. See? Nice and simple.  
Of course, Murphy's Law came into play here: If you think something bad is going to happen, it probably will. Here's where we get screwed up to hell and back.  
*** Jake! Watch out for his tail! I shouted at the tiger, while dodging a taxxon, who was trying to body slam me and eat me.  
See, we had infiltrated the sharing meeting and screwed with the whole thing by having Ax knock out some controller and having the guy wake up screaming, "Andalite Bandits! Andalite Bandits!" Over and over like some idiot. Who ever said that yeerks were smart, never met this guy.  
Anyway...  
Cassie! Behind you! I heard Rachel yell at the wolf.  
  
Ahhh!!! Marco's voice filled my head as I clawed at the Taxxon then went to help him.  
Marco was in a gorilla morph, he actually looks better that way in my opinion. The Hork-Bajir that was fighting him swung his deadly tail at him, hitting him square in the chest.  
I pounced onto the alien's back and bit down as hard as my teeth would allow it, raking my claws downward. The Creatures serpent like head flung back as it hopped around trying to get me off.  
Ok, guys, it's time to get the hell out of here! Jake turns and starts to race towards the exit with the others limping behind.  
I jumped down and was running after them as fast as my four legs could carry me, even if one of them was lame. I had made to the outside and was looking for the spot to morph back and get out of there when I felt a tentacle wrap around my hind leg, the one that was already in pain.  
AHHH!! I tripped up and fell, then looked back. What I saw....I don't think I could describe what it was. It made all my twisted monsters in my stories look harmless and docile. This thing was black as night, or more, and it had veins running through it like green blood. It had two mouths; one on what I think was its face and another on what I thought to be its stomach. Its eyes reminded me of an octopus, silvery with a weird black upside down crescent moon. Oh, did I mention that its teeth would make the shark and T-Rex jealous?  
Help! Guys!? I was practically half-dead from fear and blood loss.  
Ahh, it seems the Andalites have found another one of their comrades. A sneering voice said, echoing inside my head, Must be a young one.  
Murphy's Law must be having a field day with my life.  
Now, surrender, Andalite, and I'll make sure you'll live to see the next day. Ok, now breath, I thought, now what would a pompous Andalite that is a novice say to another?  
I will never surrender to an abomination like you, Visser Three.  
A female?  
Got a problem with that?  
To this day, I could have sworn that he smiled, with both mouths. No, it'll make eating you all the better.  
Oh no, I was in deep, deep shit.  
Leigh!? I heard Tobias call out, Don't worry, will have you out in a jiff. Don't worry!? I called back trying vainly, and failing miserably, to suppress the hysteria and fear that thrummed throw me. HE'S GONNA EAT MEEEEE!!!! I could hear Marco snickering, Does he want to get sick? He cajole Eating you..we should've tried that before. Maybe he'll die of food poison. Shut up Marco and get me the hell out of here! I yelled at him Falling unconscious from blood loss is not one of my favorite things in this world, ya know. Chill, we've got it. Rachel told me.  
I looked back at the creature that was Visser three. What is your form called? I asked acting as though I was an Andalite. I don't think I have ever seen it before. Here's my plan: Suck up enough to get his ego swelled up, and try to sneak away. It seemed that plan A was working.  
This form is called the Rajaakuma, young Andalite.  
That's when a bird dive bomb, then another and another, scratched out his eyes. AAAAHHHHH!!! He let go of my, now abused and useless, hind leg and I shot out into the night, running as far as I could away from his bellows of rageDAMN YOU ANDALITES!  
****  
I trotted until I had found a good place to demorph. After I had demorphed, I slide to the ground, wrapped my arms around my knees, leaned my head back against the dirty brick wall and sighed. This had been my first time, really, killing a living creature. Not someone's memories of killing someone else. I closed my eyes briefly, trying to force the mental images of myself killing the blood thirsty Taxxons and the deadly bladed Hork-Bajir. I felt the bile build up in the back of my mouth and swallowed thickly. There was no way in heaven or hell that I was going to get any less tonight, maybe not tomorrow either.  
But, the mission was over, the killing was done now, now there was nothing more to do then go home and try to sleep, even if you can't.  
I heard the sound of feet walk into the alley where I was hiding. I remained where I was, wondering idly if it was some drunk or some guy looking for a whore to sleep with. Instead, I heard, "Leigh?"  
It was Cassie. They'd send her because she was the one that was good at dealing with emotions and stuff; the others suck at it.  
"Yeah," I was mildly surprised at the face that my voice sounded almost normal, like I could have been talking about the weather or school.  
"How do you feel?" She sat next to me.  
I almost laughed; it was back to the psychiatric couch for me. "I don't know, no, I do." I glanced at her, she was still in her morphing suit, and her hair was still braided in tiny little micobraids. "It feels like a vision I had after I've been to a murder scene...numb and calm."  
She nods, "It's just shock, don't worry, you'll get use to it."  
I looked at her fully. For someone so young, she looked tired, strained even. Like she's been struggling against something all her life and was still trying to cope with a loss of some sort.  
She reminded me of me, after my first couple of visions. I had the same tired look. I gave her a half-hearted smile, "Yeah, I guess we will."  
I had said we, because to me, she still wasn't use to it either, even if she had been there longer than me.  
She nods, "Come on, we've got to get home."  
  
****  
After what I believe was a few hours worth of sleep, I was shaken awake hearing someone calling my name. "Leigh! Wake up!"  
Groggily, I opened my eyes and stared at him blearily. "Huh?"  
He had this worried look on his face and he looked like he had just gotten out of bed.  
"Are you ok?"  
I nodded, "Yeah, why?"  
"You were screaming in your sleep."  
I froze, and silently prayed that my subconscious wasn't saying anything. "What did I say?"  
He looked puzzled for a moment then stated, "Help me and the rest was nothing but mumbles." He looked worried again, "Are you sure you're ok?" He asked, "ever since that last case you've worked one, you've been more withdrawn. I hoped that you would make some friends here."  
I smiled at him and nodded, "Don't worry daddy," I kissed his cheek and lay back down, "I'm ok, just need some more sleep, that's all."  
He nods, but stayed with me, rubbing my back in a soothing motion as though I was eight again and had nightmares and saw monsters in my room. It had always been like that, just him and I. Doing things that were normal father-daughter things.  
I closed my eyes, letting my mind drift and still smelling his aftershave. He wore the same brand ever since I can remember. It's like I can be blindfolded and still find him in a room full of people, just by is smell. It was imprinted in my mind, but there was always another smell that I remember from when I was a baby. It was faint like a wisp of smoke. Now, I had identified the smell as Heather, which was odd because for as long as I remember Daddy wearing the smell of aftershave and cologne for so long, I never once remember someone in our family wearing that scent.  
There was something..compelling about it, like a memory trying to resurface, but not quite there. I had given up on finding the person who wore it and gotten on with my life, but every now and then, I would still wonder....  
Finally, sleep had taken over sucking into the darkness with no dreams or thoughts and for the first time in a while, I slept pretty well.  
AN: Hope you liked it. Oh, and Rajaakuma means- ' King devil' 


	11. gomen

Ok, now, This might be it. If what I'm doing doesn't work then not that many updates.  
  
KuroTenshi  
  
)i( 


End file.
